Live the Dream Thanks To Private Space Flight Companies

Did you know that it is not just government agencies who are sending ships into space? There are a number of private space flight companies all around the world that are sending things up into outer space all the time. For instance, some companies send up television satellites. For a long time, space travel was something that only trained astronauts could do, and the rest of us could only dream about how cool it would be to take a trip to outer space. We all dream as children about traveling through the stars.

Do you want to know something really cool? That dream is getting closer and closer to becoming a reality for the average Joe. In fact, the first non-government astronaut to fly to outer space as a tourist went in 2001. In 2004, a vehicle made for civilian space flight, the SpaceShipOne was created, and now, space flight no longer has to be a dream for many people.

There are Many Private Space Flight Companies

Sir Richard Branson of Virgin America has now formed Virgin Galactic, and the White Night mother craft and five SpaceShipTwo space vehicles were contracted to be built. The vehicles are released 50,000 feet below the mother craft, allowing the general public to be able to take private space flights. So far, there are already more than 400 people registered for future flights, which are planned to begin in 2012.

Virgin Galactic isn’t the only private space flight company in the world. One company, Space Adventures, has sent seven people into space since 2001 on a Russian rocket, but because of the extremely high cost, there are not many who are able to afford such a luxury. This company has entered into an agreement with Armadillo Aerospace to develop rockets that will be less expensive, which means that more people will be able to afford trips to space.

Another private space flight company is Blue Origin, founded by Jeff Bezos, who you may know from Amazon.com. He is developing how own vehicle for suborbital flights, but there are few details being released about the project at this time. The vehicle used by this company is one that can take off and land vertically.

Space Exploration Technologies Corp., or SpaceX as it also known, is developing a space rocket called the Falcon. This is another vehicle that will land and take off vertically, and it is planned to be used for both suborbital and orbital flights. The company hopes to offer civilian space flights by 2013.

Pretty soon, your childhood dreams about space travel could become a reality. As more and more private space flight companies are getting involved in space travel, it means that there will be more opportunities for the average Joe to travel to outer space at a price they can actually afford.