Author Topic: LIVE: Soyuz TMA-13 launch - October 12, 2008 (Read 74160 times)

jacqmans · « **on:** 11/16/2007 01:23 pm »

Space Adventures Offers Unique Opportunity to Participate in
Richard Garriott’s Orbital Spaceflight Mission as Back-up Crew Member

First time ever this training opportunity is commercially available

Vienna, Va. – November 15, 2007 – Today, Space Adventures, Ltd., the world’s leading space experiences company, announced that for the first time the coveted opportunity to train as a private space explorer alongside one of its orbital spaceflight candidates, and among professional astronauts, is now available to the public.

“Participation as an official back-up crew member is a once in a lifetime opportunity for an individual, or a company sponsoring an individual, to experience first-hand how our clients train for spaceflight,” said Eric Anderson, president and CEO of Space Adventures. “It is with great enthusiasm that we, along with Richard, offer this position to a member of the public. The individual selected will be someone who not only has a genuine interest in human spaceflight, but also one who is able to be an active participant in Richard’s mission, to include being featured in a documentary TV series.”

Famed game developer and son of former NASA astronaut, Richard Garriott, currently planning a mission to the International Space Station (ISS) in October 2008, will begin spaceflight preparations after the first of the year.

“I want to involve as many people as possible in my mission and this is one of the most innovative ways to do so,” said Richard Garriott. “I encourage anyone who has ever dreamed of traveling to space to contact to Space Adventures. Not only will the back-up crew member be certified as a ‘fully-trained cosmonaut’ and be named to an official space mission crew, a distinction that less than 1,000 people have ever had; but, our combined participation is a step forward in the progression of our expansion into the cosmos.”

“The back-up crew member’s financial investment into this program can be credited in-full toward a future orbital or lunar spaceflight mission,” added Mr. Anderson. The price of the program is $3,000,000 (USD) which includes the required spaceflight training costs, along with accommodations in Star City and other training locations. For more detailed information, please visit www.SpaceAdventures.com/backup.

“If I had not trained as a back-up crew member in 2006, then I would never have flown to space that year,” said Anousheh Ansari, Space Adventures’ fourth orbital client and first female spaceflight participant to launch to the ISS. “The training was exhilarating and ultimately prepared me for my flight which I’m thankful for.”

Mr. Garriott’s spaceflight is the first in a series of missions that will accommodate commercial activity aboard the ISS. Involvement from the private sector will range from scientific and environmental research to educational outreach programming. For more information, please visit Mr. Garriott’s mission web site, www.RichardInSpace.com.

Space Adventures, the company that organized the flights for the world’s first private space explorers: Dennis Tito, Mark Shuttleworth, Greg Olsen, Anousheh Ansari and Charles Simonyi, is headquartered in Vienna, Va. with an office in Moscow. It offers a variety of programs such as the availability today for spaceflight missions to the International Space Station and around the moon, Zero-Gravity flights, cosmonaut training, spaceflight qualification programs and reservations on future suborbital spacecrafts. The company's advisory board includes Apollo 11 moonwalker Buzz Aldrin, Shuttle astronauts Sam Durrance, Tom Jones, Byron Lichtenberg, Norm Thagard, Kathy Thornton, Pierre Thuot, Charles Walker, Skylab/Shuttle astronaut Owen Garriott and Russian cosmonaut Yuri Usachev.

###

Stacey Tearne
Vice President, Communications
Space Adventures, Ltd.
8000 Towers Crescent Drive
Suite 1000
Vienna, Va. 22182
USA
+1 703 894 2192 direct dial
+1 703 524 7176 fax
+1 202 256 7917 mobile
[email protected]

SMS · « **Reply #1 on:** 11/26/2007 11:15 am »

Can someone write us more about Mr. Nik Halik and what you thnik about below information?

= = =
Space flight dream nears

November 26, 2007 12:00am
A THRILL-seeking Melbourne multi-millionaire is one small step from being the first Australian private citizen in space.

Self-described "thrillionaire" Nik Halik has been named as the back-up crewman for next year's October commercial flight to the International Space Station.

While excited by the announcement, Mr Halik said it was just one step towards his real dream - being one of the first to colonise the moon.

"My goal is to go lunar," said Mr Halik, who says he owns land on the moon, as does former US president Bill Clinton.

"But the International Space Station will be fine for the moment."

The entrepreneur and adventurer will pay $3.4 million to complete seven months' full-time training next year to become a cosmonaut.

Mr Halik, 38, who has already completed extensive space flight training, will train alongside Texan computer game developer Richard Garriott, who has been chosen for the flight.

If Mr Garriott withdraws, Mr Halik will take his place on a Russian Soyuz rocket through private company Space Adventures.

He said if he went he would be the sixth private citizen in space.

Mr Halik has dreamed of flying into space since he was an asthmatic, short-sighted, bookish boy growing up in Airport West with Greek migrant parents.

He saw Neil Armstrong's first walk on the moon and vowed to follow in those footsteps.

Mr Halik said reading the space adventures of comic book hero Tin Tin reinforced his dream.

He has already flown to the edge of space in a MiG-25, eaten lunch on the Titanic in a three-man submersible, and climbed four of the world's highest peaks. Everest is still on his list.

Mr Halik has been training in the Russian space program for four years between his global property, stock market and business pursuits.

He was formerly a successful musician and known to many as the guitarist with Melbourne band Big Deal, with regular TV appearances.

Mr Halik has also run with the bulls in Pamplona and for a time joined a Bedouin tribe in the Sahara Desert.

At age eight, he wrote a "hit list" of 10 things he wanted to achieve in his life.

Mr Halik has only three left - go to a space station, go to the moon and climb Everest.

He has promised to give up his entire wealth and belongings to society if he has the chance to be one of the first to colonise the moon - and says it is far from a pipe dream.

"In my lifetime, I think it is absolutely achievable," Mr Halik said.

"I wrote it down so it's got to happen.

"By 2018, the Japanese want to colonise it and have a moon base and use it to explore the galaxy."

Mr Halik hopes his achievements will be an inspiration to young people.

"Everything I've done in my life I've just gravitated towards my dream," he said.
= = =
source

hektor · « **Reply #2 on:** 11/27/2007 09:03 am »

Maybe he hopes to be as lucky as Ms. Ansari ?

jacqmans · « **Reply #3 on:** 01/21/2008 04:20 pm »

Space Adventures’ Orbital Spaceflight Client, Richard Garriott,
Begins Cosmonaut Training for October Spaceflight Launch

Garriott’s mission to include scientific and environmental research,
and educational outreach

Vienna, Va. -- January 21, 2008 -- Space Adventures, Ltd., the world’s leading space experiences company, announced today that famed game developer Richard Garriott, son of former NASA astronaut Owen Garriott, has begun training at the Yuri Gagarin Training Center in Star City, Russia in preparation for a mission to the International Space Station (ISS) currently planned for October.

“I am quite excited to be in training now and I look forward to all aspects that it will entail,” said Richard Garriott. “But, I am particularly enthusiastic to be here in Star City, as a resident, with its amazing history of space exploration. I’m honored to surround myself with its people and I am determined to learn as much as I possibly can, inside and outside the classroom.”

Mr. Garriott’s spaceflight will be the first in a series of missions that will accommodate commercial activity aboard the ISS. Involvement from the private sector will include scientific and environmental research and educational outreach programming.

“Since announcing Richard’s intent to fly, we have been contacted by numerous corporations and non-profits seeking ways in which to participate in his space mission,” said Eric Anderson, president and CEO of Space Adventures. “It is a very rare occasion when so many commercial opportunities are available during one spaceflight. In the coming months, we will be announcing Richard’s mission partners and details on his planned on-orbit activities.”

Space Adventures made history in 2001 by organizing the mission of the first private space explorer. Now, the company continues to bring innovation to manned spaceflight by enabling corporate and non-profit entities to participate in commercial endeavors on the planet’s only orbiting outpost.

Interested parties, including commercial and non-profit entities and space enthusiasts, can get involved in Mr. Garriott’s spaceflight via his web site (www.richardinspace.com). Mr. Garriott will be updating the site continuously via photos, blog entries and individuals can submit questions and suggestions for his mission activities. “I want to involve as many people as possible in my mission,” said Mr. Garriott.

About Richard Garriott:

Richard Garriott is best known as a key figure in the computer gaming field. He was one of the earliest and most successful game developers. Mr. Garriott developed the Ultima series which remains the longest running computer game franchise, and with his brother, Robert, he founded Origin Systems, one of the most respected PC game developers and publishers. Richard also created Ultima Online, which ushered in the new massively multi-player online (MMO) genre, the fastest growing segment in computer gaming today. More recently, he co-founded the North American arm of NCsoft (www.PlayNC.com), the world’s largest online game developer and publisher. In November 2007, his latest game, Richard Garriott's Tabula Rasa, launched in North America and in the European Union. For more information, please visit www.rgtr.com.

About Space Adventures:

Space Adventures, the company that organized the flights for the world’s first private space explorers: Dennis Tito, Mark Shuttleworth, Greg Olsen, Anousheh Ansari and Charles Simonyi, is headquartered in Vienna, Va. with an office in Moscow. It offers a variety of programs such as the availability today for spaceflight missions to the International Space Station and around the moon, Zero-Gravity flights, cosmonaut training, spaceflight qualification programs and reservations on future suborbital spacecrafts. The company's advisory board includes Apollo 11 moonwalker Buzz Aldrin, Shuttle astronauts Sam Durrance, Tom Jones, Byron Lichtenberg, Norm Thagard, Kathy Thornton, Pierre Thuot, Charles Walker, Skylab/Shuttle astronaut Owen Garriott and Russian cosmonaut Yuri Usachev. For more information, please visit www.spaceadventures.com.

Stacey Tearne
Vice President, Communications
Space Adventures, Ltd.
8000 Towers Crescent Drive
Suite 1000
Vienna, Va. 22182
USA

jacqmans · « **Reply #4 on:** 01/28/2008 01:43 pm »

Space Adventures Announces the Identity of Back-up Crew Member
for Richard Garriott’s Orbital Spaceflight Mission
Australian entrepreneur and investment wealth strategist selected

Vienna, Va. -- January 28, 2007 -- Today, Space Adventures, Ltd., the world’s leading space experiences company, announced that Nik Halik of Australia has been chosen to train as the back-up crew member alongside our orbital spaceflight candidate, famed game developer and son of former NASA astronaut, Richard Garriott, who is currently planning a mission to the International Space Station (ISS) in October.

“Through his participation as a back-up crew member, Nik will experience first-hand how our clients train for spaceflight and he, himself, will be certified as a ‘fully-trained cosmonaut’ and will be named to an official space mission crew, a distinction that less than 1,000 people have ever had,” said Eric Anderson, president and CEO of Space Adventures.

“I am thrilled to be chosen as Richard’s back-up. I have dreamed of flying to space ever since I was a young boy. I watched recordings of Neil Armstrong’s first steps on the moon’s surface and I vowed to follow,” said Nik Halik. “The space station will be my first stop, with my eyes focused on the moon.”

“Not only is Nik a successful entrepreneur, but he is also an avid adventurer. Among his various expeditions, he was the first Australian to dive down five miles and land on the bow of the Titanic and he will be the first civilian from Australia to travel to space,” added Mr. Anderson.

“Nik and I have similar exploratory backgrounds and we’ll have many stories to share during our time together in Star City. I look forward to train with him because not only is it meant to prepare myself for flight, but also to prepare Nik for his future flight. I definitely will be on-hand for his eventual launch to space,” said Mr. Garriott.

The price of the program is $3,000,000 (USD) which includes the required spaceflight training costs, along with accommodations in Star City and other training locations.

About Nik Halik:
Nik Halik, born in Australia to Greek immigrant parents, is the CEO and founder of several companies including Financial Freedom Institute and Money Masters. As an international wealth strategist, he has conducted over 100 'Mind and Wealth Prosperity' conferences globally and mentored investors in maximizing their wealth accumulation. His latest book that will be published and globally released in March 2008, "The Thrillionaire", is an autobiography that also provides astute investment strategies. Mr. Halik is also an adventurer. He has lead expeditions to Antarctica, Africa and the Amazon with his adventure company, ADVENTURE ODYSSEY. Mr. Halik is a mountaineer, having summited several of the highest peaks in the world with an Everest climb planned for 2009. Nik is also an avid stormchaser in the U.S. Midwest’s Tornado Alley. He is 38 years-old and resides amongst his homes in the Greek Islands, Morocco and Australia.

jacqmans · « **Reply #5 on:** 03/18/2008 10:39 pm »

GO FOR LAUNCH! CHALLENGER CENTER HEADS TO THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION

Alexandria, VA – Richard Garriott is a preeminent game developer and son of NASA Skylab Astronaut Owen Garriott. As the next civilian to fly into space, Richard plans to follow the lead of Educator Astronaut Barbara Morgan, STS-118, through interactive lessons that will motivate and inspire students. His flight is currently scheduled for lift-off to the International Space Station on October 12, 2008. Richard is a former student of Dr. June Scobee Rodgers, the Founding Chairman of Challenger Center for Space Science Education and widow of that flight's Commander, Dick Scobee. After the tragic loss of the Challenger space shuttle crew, Richard worked with Dr. Scobee Rodgers on the design of the first Challenger Learning Center. There are now over 50 Challenger Learning Centers in the United States, Canada, England and South Korea. Richard will continue the mission of Teacher-in-Space Christa McAuliffe, as did Barbara Morgan, as he delivers activities and challenges from the International Space Station. Garriott's flight activities have the potential to reach children across the globe as he reaches out from the first Challenger Learning Center off the planet.

Garriott plans to spend time before, during and after his flight working with students, teachers and the 50 Challenger Learning Centers located in the United States, England, Canada and South Korea. He plans to conduct a series of interactive webcasts associated with his spaceflight training in Russia; conduct podcasts discussing activities related to both his training and spaceflight; hold amateur ham radio conversations with students during his flight; and perform experiments that can be replicated by students using everyday objects to demonstrate important concepts in physics. Students can predict what might happen during the same experiment in the microgravity (weightless) environment of space.

Dr. June Scobee Rodgers plans to present lessons to students over the web in preparation for Richard Garriott’s flight. “Like father, like son,” says Dr. Rodgers, commenting on her former student's plans. “Dr. Owen Garriott also taught student science lessons from space on his Skylab mission, as Richard plans to do on his flight.” Richard Garriott’s experiments, webcasts, and podcasts about his flight will be available on the Challenger Center’s national website, www.challenger.org.

Challenger Center for Space Science Education was founded in 1986 by the families of the astronauts of the space shuttle Challenger 51-L mission. It is dedicated to the educational spirit of that mission and impacts over 300,000 students and 25,000 teachers each year. Challenger Learning Center programs at 50 centers around the world continue the crew's mission of engaging teachers and students in science, mathematics, engineering and technology. To locate a Challenger Learning Center near you, visit www.challenger.org.

XXX

For program information, please contact:
Shannon Rush, Development and Communications Associate
Challenger Center for Space Science Education, Alexandria, VA
888-683-9740; [email protected]

To request an interview with Richard Garriott, please contact:
Stacey Tearne, Space Adventures
703 894 2192, [email protected]

hektor · « **Reply #6 on:** 04/08/2008 10:14 pm »

Is Halik going on Soyuz TMA-14 or is it a completely other game for this flight next year ?

anik · « **Reply #7 on:** 06/02/2008 05:02 pm »

On May 29th Richard Garriott and Nik Halik have trained at RSC Energia to work with photo- and video- equipment.

Images are from http://www.energia.ru/rus/news/news-2008/photo_05-29.html

Satori · « **Reply #8 on:** 07/24/2008 12:49 pm »

According to the Roskosmos press service, the 11A511U-FG Soyuz-FG launch vehicle that will be used to launch the Soyuz TMA-13 in October, has arrived to the Tyura-Tam train station tonight. After passing the costumes procedures the rocket will be transported to the Area 112. In the same train was the launch vehicle for the next Progress M launch.

ASTUTE · « **Reply #9 on:** 08/02/2008 06:06 pm »

According to Interfax the launch teams started unloading Soyuz-FG (for TMA-13) blocks in the area 112 on July 28.

anik · « **Reply #10 on:** 08/10/2008 06:42 pm »

According to http://www.energia.ru/rus/iss/iss18/photo_08-07.html on August 7th Richard Garriott has trained at RSC Energia to work with equipment for DHL and Picture experiments.

jacqmans · « **Reply #11 on:** 08/22/2008 04:48 am »

August 19, 2008. S.P. Korolev RSC Energia, Korolev, Moscow Region

http://www.energia.ru/eng/iss/iss18/photo_08-19.html

RSC Energia after S.P. Korolev hosted training sessions under the training program for Increment 18 of International Space Station (ISS-18).

The Corporation specialists familiarized Pilot-Cosmonauts from RGNII, CTC after Yu.A. Gagarin, Yuri Lonchakov (Prime Crew) and Gennadiy Padalka (Backup Crew) with video- and photographic equipment available onboard the ISS Russian Segment. They took part in training sessions devoted to "Pilot-V" and "Martyoshka-R" scientific experiments, handling "Zveno-B" hardware, methods to monitor windows condition and pressurization of the ISS RS internal pipelines and surfaces.

Also cosmonauts Yu. Lonchakov and G. Padalka were involved in a training session for scientific-educational experiment "Physics-Education" prepared by RSC Energia together with one of Moscow lycees.

anik · « **Reply #12 on:** 08/23/2008 03:02 pm »

http://www.kt.kz/index.php?lang=rus&uin=1138536794&chapter=1153458823

Soyuz TMA-13 spacecraft was delivered to Baikonur cosmodrome by train yesterday.

anik · « **Reply #13 on:** 08/27/2008 09:09 pm »

http://www.energia.ru/rus/iss/iss18/photo_08-27.html

On August 27th Richard Garriott has trained at RSC Energia to install and change software on laptop.

anik · « **Reply #14 on:** 09/03/2008 06:04 pm »

http://www.energia.ru/rus/iss/iss18/photo_09-02.html

On September 2nd Richard Garriott and Nik Halik have trained at RSC Energia to work with photo- and video- equipment, ham radio equipment and software for amateur radio communication.

anik · « **Reply #15 on:** 09/04/2008 06:07 pm »

http://www.energia.ru/rus/iss/iss18/photo_09-03.html

On September 3rd Richard Garriott has trained at RSC Energia to work with settings of software on laptop.

anik · « **Reply #16 on:** 09/11/2008 05:16 pm »

http://www.kt.kz/index.php?lang=rus&uin=1138536794&chapter=1153460357

Autonomous and complex electrical tests of Soyuz TMA-13's systems are finished. Yesterday the spacecraft was moved into unechoed camera for the checking of radio systems.

anik · « **Reply #17 on:** 09/18/2008 06:24 pm »

According to http://www.kt.kz/index.php?lang=rus&uin=1138536794&chapter=1153461134 Soyuz TMA-13 spacecraft is in vacuum camera for the checking of pressure integrity.

According to http://www.rian.ru/science/20080918/151397554.html today the prime crew of Soyuz TMA-13 spacecraft has successfully passed exams on the simulator of Russian segment of ISS.

jacqmans · « **Reply #18 on:** 09/23/2008 07:52 pm »

Press conference with TMA-13 crew and head of Roscosmos.

http://www.roscosmos.ru/NewsDoSele.asp?NEWSID=4244

anik · « **Reply #19 on:** 09/24/2008 02:56 pm »

http://www.kt.kz/index.php?lang=rus&uin=1138536794&chapter=1153461761

The prime and backup crews of Soyuz TMA-13 spacecraft will arrive on Baikonur cosmodrome on Tu-154 and Tu-134 aircrafts on September 29th.