Suborbital flight: from preparation to travel

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:47

Korolev prophesied that in the near future people will be able to travel into space through "trade union vouchers" now suborbital flight is becoming a reality. But no one could imagine that dreams can become a reality. Already at the moment, people can book a seat to understand what suborbital flights into space are. Just the same, the Russian Federation opened tourism into space in the very first year of the 19th century, 40 years after Gagarin flew into space.

Space travelers

In the last century, space travel was only possible on a need-to-know basis. For professional astronauts, as well as astronauts, this was the main job. However, sometimes there were business trips. For example, in the early winter of 1990, the Japanese television company TBS organized a suborbital flight of journalist Toyohiro Akiyama to the Mir station. Beforeflew three times a resident of America, Charles Walker, an employee of McDonnell Douglas.

When the new millennium began, not only trained cosmonauts and astronauts can make their first suborbital flight, but tourists, if they wish. Millionaire Denis Tito was the first space traveler, he went in the spring of 2001 to the ISS. It was at this time that the term "space tourism" appeared. In official circles, the term is used as a participant in a space flight, not a tourist. Other candidates also underwent pre-flight training. For example, this is Daisuke Enomoto, who was suspended due to kidney disease. He was replaced by Anyushe Ansari.

Shoulder to shoulder with professionals

Suborbital space flight begins with a fairly smooth start and light 3-4-fold overloads, after which an important space factor comes into play - this is weightlessness. A couple of days, until the ship reaches its destination, the traveler will be able to enjoy the beauties of planet Earth from a height of more than 350 km and feel like a real astronaut.

After there is a docking and about a week of being on the ISS. In general, the station in orbit was not intended to be used as a hotel, and the status of a tourist does not imply any service. At least, new astronauts do not yet count on this. On the contrary, it is important for them to join the crew team and feel what real astronauts are. But, of course, their training is not the same as that of professionals. And at first, NASA did not allow tourists to be sent to the station.

Firsttourist flight

However, when Denis Tito nevertheless flew into space with the support of Roscosmos, he was forbidden to be in the American part of the station. Days at the station pass quickly. And now you have to get into a spaceship again, a different one. It was on it that the members of the main crew of the ISS flew, and it is a spare boat for rescue operations.

When you turn on the brake engines that bring the ship out of orbit, there will be no more than 4 reloads. But sometimes there are situations when the ship gets into a ballistic descent, where the crew feels a reload of up to 10g, and sometimes even more. Therefore, he alth is taken seriously and there are many demands.

Preparing for flight

In order for the orbital and suborbital flight to be favorable, the crew is checked for he alth problems. The space traveler must pass a medical examination. Participants are determined by the same aspects as professionals: they consider honey. card, organize an examination, take tests, after which they begin functional tests, check the vestibular apparatus. Finally, the candidate will be admitted to bench tests, namely a pressure chamber or a centrifuge and many others.

At least a suborbital flight, namely preparation, takes 6 months. During this period, the participant learns the assembly of the Soyuz spacecraft, learns the nuances of weightlessness in the hydro pool and on a special aircraft, takes part in survival training in sea training, as well as in the forest. This is all necessary if the landing is abnormal.

Pre-travel he alth check

Doctors joke that there are no completely he althy patients, there are those who were poorly examined. Therefore, almost every person finds some kind of deviation. Risks are divided according to the level of impact on the program of the flight itself. It's one thing if it is connected solely with the well-being of the tourist. This happened, for example, to journalist Toyohiro Akiyama, whose suborbital flight was accompanied by space sickness. This is due to the vestibular glitch that weightlessness causes, but he has published his own book, The Pleasure of Space Flight. The situation escalates when the he alth of the traveler falls on the shoulders of other crew members.

They can be allowed to fly if he alth problems do not appear more than 1-2% per year and do not affect the planned program in any way. Otherwise, special documentation will be drawn up - a waver. It is prepared carefully: they collect all scientific publications on ailments, conduct tests, and attract scientists. As a result, doctors say whether they can fix the problem or take risks by evading the rules. The final decision is always made by the Council for Space Medicine, where all representatives of existing space organizations are present.

Of the 6 travelers, Mark Shuttleworth was the he althiest, the doctors did not show him anything. And as for Gregory Olsen, he had problems with his heart and breathing. He was operated on, a year was spent on recovery, after that preparations continued, and the flight to the ISS was successful.

Purchasetickets

Tickets for the upcoming flights have long been purchased, although periodic flights have not begun. Places were booked by about 500 residents of 35 states. Many of them live in the USA. After comes the UK, there is also a candidate from the Russian Federation - Timur Artemyev (Euroset company). Interested in flying and from show business. Rumor has it that Paris Hilton and John Travolta are preparing for the flight.