This baby, with the clearview roof (going by the model pictured with the short article), is designed to carry 4 passengers 100 kilometers up into space and let them experience zero-g for about three minutes.
The EADS-Astrium jet takes off and lands like a normal business jet. But once it has reached 12 kilometers in altitude, it fires its rocket engines for the final push up out of the gravity well. Firing duration is only about 80 seconds.
Price for tickets was not included in the AW&ST article. But can you image riding in something like this? Its almost like flying in a convertible without the wind in your hair. I wonder if there will be a curtain that is pulled over the cabin interior while it is on the ground only to be pulled back for the view during the rocket firing.
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Ref. From a short article by Mike Vines, AW&ST. April 9, 2010 picture also off that website. (http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/photos/photopage.jsp?plckPhotoID=7c25944d-ea56-4b45-93bf-379308d5c213&plckGalleryID=23c19083-0daa-4d3c-bcec-b49e8ebecb6b&plckGalleryID=23c19083-0daa-4d3c-bcec-b49e8ebecb6b).
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1 comment:
Imagine taking a client on an executive jet flight 100km into space. That would be a trip to remember.
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