Russia is once again outflanking America in the space race -- the space tourist race.
On November 3, 1957, humans killed their first space tourist. Laika, we at Russia Blog salute you, “Bow-wow old friend, bow-wow.”
While the Russian government looks around for a spare $600 million to build their nuclear wessel by 2021 (hopefully using the Mobile Banka as their prototype), Reuters reports that an upstart Barcelona-based company, Galactic Suite, plans to use Russian rockets and a yet to be named Caribbean island to compete with Virgin Galactic and the New Mexico spaceport:
[Galactic Suite] plans to open the first hotel in space [and] says it is on target to accept its first paying guests in 2012 despite critics questioning the investment and time frame for the multi-billion dollar project. The Barcelona-based architects of The Galactic Suite Space Resort say it will cost 3 million euro ($4.4 million) for a three-night stay at the hotel, with this price including an eight-week training course on a tropical island.
… A nascent space tourism industry is beginning to take shape with construction underway in New Mexico of Spaceport America, the world's first facility built specifically for space-bound commercial customers and fee-paying passengers. British tycoon Richard Branson's space tours firm, Virgin Galactic, will use the facility to propel tourists into suborbital space at a cost of $200,000 a ride. … More than 200 people have expressed an interest in traveling to [the Galactic Suite] space hotel and at least 43 people have already reserved. The numbers are similar for Virgin Galactic with 300 people already paid or signed up for the trip but unlike Branson, Galactic Suite say they will use Russian rockets to transport their guests into space from a spaceport to be built on an island in the Caribbean.But critics have questioned the project, saying the time frame is unreasonable and also where the money is coming from to finance the project. [Galactic Suite CEO Xavier] Claramunt said an anonymous billionaire space enthusiast has granted $3 billion to finance the project.
Perhaps the mysterious backer is this bozo:
Cirque du Soleil's Guy Laliberte
With a mere $10 billion price tag, Russia Blog’s money is still on the Russo-Japanese space elevator -- just remember to swallow every 40 stories to keep your head from exploding…
