Boeing unveils plans to launch private citizens...

Scientific American, Sep 15, 2010 06:37 PM, By John MatsonÂ

Aerospace and defense giant Boeing has tossed its hat into the space-tourism ring, announcing that it has agreed to market future rides into Earth orbit to paying customers. The company announced the private-spaceflight initiative, in concert with Space Adventures, on September 15.

The future of private spaceflight remains speculativeâ€”no one can say with any certainty which companies will manage in the coming decades to get more than a handful of customers off the ground, in which crew capsule, and aboard which rocket. Space Adventures can lay claim to delivering seven customers to orbit, but those fliers each bought seats on Russian Soyuz spacecraft rather than on wholly commercial vessels.

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Comments: 6

Bernard C. Sep 16, 2010, 5:24am UTC

Hmm when I opened this message it made me think of a slingshot placed deep into the ground and paying travellers would get catapulted into space causing the Boeing effect most effectivly - lol - this is interesting article, thanks for sharing :-)

Richard B. Sep 16, 2010, 6:12am UTC

Very good, and thank you for your comment

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DIANE D. Sep 16, 2010, 5:33am UTC

This is very intersesting. Boeing effect.

Richard B. Sep 16, 2010, 6:13am UTC

thank you for your comment

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Gary (The Eclectic) Timothy Sep 16, 2010, 11:42am UTC

I'm still holding out hope that NASA gets back into manned spaceflight. I think the current administration has erred badly in cutting out this aspect of NASA. Depending on the Russians or commercial companies to get our astronauts into space is madness.

Thank you for posting this to Science In An Eclectic Universe!

Richard B. Sep 16, 2010, 9:29pm UTC

thanks for your comment Timothy

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Boeing unveils plans to launch private citizens into orbit

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