Boeing to Send Tourists into Space Soon Boeing, the world’s largest aerospace company and a leading manufacturer of commercial jets and defense systems, is now all set to enter into a yet-to-be fully explored arena – space tourism. Its recent announcement said that flights into space could be launched as early as 2015 and effort are on to finalize prices, market seats and talk to prospective customers. Boeing is in partnership with Space Adventure, the space tourism company based in Virginia, to market the seats.
This undertaking will help facilitate the Obama government’s efforts to transform the image of National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) from a rocket building factory to one that is more supportive and nurturing of the space industry.
Based on NASA’s rules, four space station crew members have to travel in the Boeing capsule, called the CST-100, leaving room for three other non-astronaut space tourists. This plan comes at a time when the future of NASA rests on the verdict of the Bill as passed by the Congress. One version that was written by the House Science and technology Committee calls for the building of a government-owned rocket — probably the Ares I to transport astronauts into space. The opposing view expressed by the Obama administration focuses on tying up with private companies that want to start space shuttles that are the equivalent of airlines so that NASA could buy tickets on the ride for its astronauts to the International Space Station. The competition would definitely keep the prices down, as the companies are eager to have prices that compete with Russia’s private shuttle service, the Soyuz.