RSC “Energy” is gaining tourists to fly to the moon – Popular Mechanics

The company Space Adventures, sending space tourists to the space station, start looking for clients to fly around the Moon as early as 2010, the newspaper notes.

«We have a draft project on the modernization of the” Soyuz “spacecraft, which was initially created from the perspectives of the organization lunar mission. Upgraded “Union” can realize a short flight to the Moon, allowing fly around the Earth satellite. Potentially we consider eight real people willing to pay for such an expedition, “- the newspaper quoted Solntseva

He said that director James Cameron was one of the first to become interested in the opportunity to fly to the moon.. In addition, among the potential tourists have family in Japan. “Energy” will be able to deploy a “large-scale work,” as only dial “critical mass” of confirmed orders, said the general director of the corporation.

As the “Izvestia” close to the Space Adventures company (SA) source, the price of space travel to the Moon has been reduced from 150 to 120 million dollars. Read more

«The interest in this project is, people are willing to pay money for a unique experience. SA informs potential customers that the first flight around the Moon with the tourists can take place until 2020. Flying in near space and into orbit will soon become more or less a mass product, but a journey to the moon, it circled, remains a dream “-. Results in the publication the words of the interlocutor

According to him , we travel to the moon not have a huge potential: five to seven expeditions will fully meet the existing demand.

head of the Russian representation of Space Adventures Sergey Kostenko confirmed “News” that the interest of potential tourists to have circled the moon.

«I can not talk about specific customers, their number, but such a program there is a demand. This project can be implemented in the future five to seven years, although the decisive role here is not ours, and “Energy”. All technical work on their part, “- he said,

RSC” Energia. “- The umbrella organization for manned space systems in Russia. The Corporation is working to create unmanned space and missile systems (launch vehicles and inter-orbit transportation), high-tech systems for various applications for use in non-space fields.

Organization of commercial flights into space since 2001 engaged in “Roskosmos” and the company Space Adventures, which provides marketing services. Preparation of tourists carried out in Star City near Moscow. While the sole purpose of space tourism is the Russian segment of the International Space Station.