WHAT IT IS A habitable man-made satellite in low Earth orbit
WHY YOU WON’T DO IT You’ll need to be an elite astronaut or have more money than you know what to do with
A joint project between NASA, the Russian Space Agency, the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency, the European Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency, the International Space Station has been continuously inhabited since 2000. As tourism destinations go, it’s literally out of this world, but you’ll need dedication or deep pockets to get there.
First launched in 1998 and painstakingly constructed in orbit like a zero-gravity Lego kit, the International Space Station (ISS) is designed to be inhabited by a maximum of six people at a time. Maintaining an orbit some 330–410 kilometres (205–255 miles) above the Earth, it is a floating laboratory where experiments are conducted across scientific disciplines. Work done here will influence the planning of any future manned missions to more distant space destinations such as the Moon and Mars.
At the time of writing, some 34 crew members have spent time on the ISS. The longest stay was by Russian cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev, whose 803 days in space is an all-time record. Understandably, your chances of joining this elite group are decidedly limited. The most obvious path is to become an astronaut affiliated to one of the relevant space agencies. To date, astronauts from some 15 countries have visited. But while this path may be obvious, it’s far from easy – there are simply very few astronauts in the world, and to become one takes years of training.
Most astronauts are in the age range of 27 to 37 when they begin their training. Prior to this, they will have earned a university degree in a relevant subject such as engineering, medicine or physics. A working knowledge of both English and Russian is also useful, as is an air force background. You’ll need to be in good physical shape, with an ability to undertake high-pressure work and maintain good relations with colleagues in the claustrophobic environment of a space vehicle.
If you’re lucky enough to beat thousands of other hopefuls and win a place on an astronaut training scheme, you can expect to endure hundreds of hours of intense training. A year of basic preparation covers subjects including space technology and health and safety in space, while there is also a tough programme of physical training to prepare your body for the stresses of space. Then comes a year of advanced training so that you can work as safely and effectively as possible once in orbit.
If all that sounds too much like hard work, then the alternative is to take the tourist trail. Space tourists pay a premium to spend time on the ISS as civilians (though you’ll typically be expected to undertake scientific investigation while you’re up there). Those who take this route tend to hate being called space tourists, preferring such terms as ‘private space explorer’ or ‘spaceflight participant’ (NASA’s euphemism of choice). Tickets don’t come cheap. For a stay of up to a couple of weeks, expect to pay in the range of US$25 million to US$40 million. You’ll also need to pass a vigorous course of training, covering much of the same ground as ‘proper’ astronauts.
American businessman Dennis Tito became the first paying customer to visit the ISS when he joined the crew for eight days in 2001. As of 2013, six others had followed in his footsteps, spending up to 15 days at a time on board. In 2009, IT entrepreneur Charles Simonyi became the first man to go on two missions, racking up a total of 29 days at a combined cost of US$60 million. Every space tourist thus far has been transported to the station on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft. Each trip was arranged by Virginia-based space travel agency Space Adventures.
Just make sure you’ve got up-to-date insurance – Japanese businessman Daisuke Enomoto paid US$21 million for a 2006 spaceflight, but was ultimately deemed medically unfit to fly. He subsequently sued Space Adventures after he was refused a refund.
UP IN THE AIR Astronauts Peggy Whitson and Valery Korzun juggle hamburgers on the International Space Station during the ‘Expedition 5’ mission in 2002. The two were part of a crew who undertook some 25 new investigations over their six-month stay aboard the station (shown earlier, above the limb of Earth).
