Space Tourism : from pioneers to industry ?

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Space Tourism from pioneers to industry ?

• an EADS Space overview
• ECSL March 17, 2006

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Back to history

• 1927 Lindbergh wins the Orteig prize, thus
  stimulating the aircraft technology and giving
  the top to commercial air transport
• Since first cosmonaut in 1961, almost 500 women
  and men in space gt99 were professionals with
  a scientific objective, not  tourists 
• 2004 the Anzari X Prize ? starting point of
  space for fun
• 2005 SpaceShipOne, first privately developed
  vehicle to successfully fly into sub-orbital
  space
• 2006 Space Adventures announces an agreement
  with the Russian FSA as well as with Prodea, a
  private investment company for developing
  sub-orbital flights

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Space tourism the outcome of an evolution

• From
• business to institutions (earth observation,
  science)
• to business to business (telecom)
• and now possibly business to peers (space
  tourism)
• Such an evolution necessarily implies
• - new industrial, financing, commercial and legal
  schemes, and
• - mental evolution of people vision of space
  activities.

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The Space Tourist expectations/concerns

• Expectations
• Looking at earth from Space appears as the main
  expectation
• Weightlessness experience is a huge part of the
  fun
• ?The quality of the entertainment will highly
  depend on the orbital conditions and on the
  vehicle accommodation
• Concerns
• Safety of the trip (vehicle, effects on health)
• Value for service (comfort, conviviality)

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Space tourism The possible ways

• The Terrestrial segment
• activities such as visits to space centers, or
  participation to astronauts training centers
• atmospheric flights such as parabolic flights, or
  flights in fighter jets
• entertainment concept, no real innovation
• ? few room for space industry

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Space tourism The possible ways

• The Orbital trips
• Orbital stays (in ISS)
• Visits to Low Earth Orbit (LEO)
• 1- Require a new vehicle (high development costs,
  difficult business case)
• 2- Require from space tour applicants
• huge training
• excellent health conditions
• 3- Ticket price will remain prohibitive
• Access limited to  happy fews 

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Space tourism The possible ways

• The Sub-orbital trips
• Suborbital flights for a short-duration.
  upand-down flight that reaches an altitude of
  around 100km or more but does not go into orbit
  around the earth
• Meet the tourist expectations earth
  observation, weightlessness experience,
  excitement
• Is not a sport practice, nor a transportation
  mean
• The real new opportunity for non professionals
  already many projects on going ..

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Space tourism the major uncertainties

• Technical feasibility need for a cheap, simple
  and secure launch vehicle. The viability of the
  project can be seriously impacted by the
  certification constraints, especially in terms of
   early  demonstrations. This certification
  issue seems to be fairly advanced in the US.
  Europe would need to take up the process.
  Creativity and institutions / industry
  collaboration will be the success key in order to
  find a compromise among authorities, operators
  and customers/users.
• Safety a high number of accidents would be a
  show stopper for the development of space
  tourism, so safety is the first priority
• Funding space tourism is a pure commercial
  activity but venture capital may be difficult to
  raise (long ROI expectations). A first initiative
  is the Prodea one.
• Creative solutions to be invented a European
  innovation prize fund?

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Space tourism the major uncertainties

• Legal issues
• Two basic questions .
• Status of the vehicle aircraft or spacecraft ?
• Flight area airspace or outer space ?
• . will influence the legal environment of the
  Space tourism activities

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Space tourism the major uncertainties

• Legal issues
• Certification, authorization, registration
• Status of tourists, selection criteria, status of
  pilots
• Liability issues third party liability, product
  liability, launch liability, damages caused by
  tourists on board
• Jurisdiction (civil criminal)
• Obligations of the service provider flight
  abortion, cancellation, hold harmless provisions
  
• Insurance coverage and cost
• Intellectual property, protection of privacy
• ? Inadequacy of existing regulations ?

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Conclusion

• Number of remaining open points (as for any new
  business)
• Any new venture always appeared unrealistic
  until it became common trend
• Success creates demand
• Space tourism to make space industry closer to
  people
• Space tourism
• from dream to reality ?