There’s still room on the ceiling… Astronauts and cosmonauts may soon have company in space. REUTERS
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CHICAGO, Illinois. Think you have to be an astronaut to travel through space? Not necessarily. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) says it plans to offer paid sightseeing flights within five years, and Russia has already done so.
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American Dennis Tito will take off on a 10-day mission to the International Space Station aboard a Russian rocket on April 30. Of course, he's the only one so far, and for good reason. His trip is said to be setting him back a good $20 million!
But NASA doesn't believe that money will get in the way. At a recent convention, the organization showed off a model of a commercial spacecraft, complete with cubbyholes for a shower, exercise room and cooking space.
Who will take these flights? NASA hopes to attract businesspeople, who can use the gravity-free atmosphere of space to put their products to the test. Of course, they may also just think space travel is really cool.
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