Space Tourism To Soar

[Jeff Lerner]

http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story.jsp?id=news/Tour101608.xml&headline=Space%20Tourism%20To%20Soar,%20Official%20Says&channel=space

I underestand that anyone reaching an altitude of at least 62 miles is considered to have reached Space and earns their Astronaut wings.

Do you think that with all these various sub-orbital ventures that the term "Astronaut" will be cheapened ??.

IMHO just because a Paris Hilton has the money to pay for one of these sub-orbital flights, it doesn't make her an Astronaut.....

[whitewatcher]

There are different definitions of "Astronaut".

One says that you have to circle the earth at least 10 times. This is the one used by current astronauts all over the world.

[kevin-rf]

There are different definitions of "Astronaut".

One says that you have to circle the earth at least 10 times. This is the one used by current astronauts all over the world.

So Glenn didn't become an atronaut until he flew on the shuttle

[hyper_snyper]

People who fly on planes aren't automatically pilots.  I think the same should be said with the term 'astronaut'.  Just flying in space shouldn't make you an astronaut.  That's just my opinion.

[Jorge]

There are different definitions of "Astronaut".

One says that you have to circle the earth at least 10 times. This is the one used by current astronauts all over the world.

I'd like to see a reference for that. I do not believe you.

[William Barton]

Who awards astronaut wings? Just NASA? And did the SS1 pilots receive them?

[William Barton]

People who fly on planes aren't automatically pilots.  I think the same should be said with the term 'astronaut'.  Just flying in space shouldn't make you an astronaut.  That's just my opinion.

There are people who fly on Soyuz who are paying passengers.

[hyper_snyper]

People who fly on planes aren't automatically pilots.  I think the same should be said with the term 'astronaut'.  Just flying in space shouldn't make you an astronaut.  That's just my opinion.

There are people who fly on Soyuz who are paying passengers.

But they have some training on Soyuz.  More than what SS2 passengers will receive anyway.

[Jorge]

Who awards astronaut wings? Just NASA?

No.

And did the SS1 pilots receive them?

Yes. They were awarded by the FAA AST.

[imcub]

Who awards astronaut wings? Just NASA?

No.

And did the SS1 pilots receive them?

Yes. They were awarded by the FAA AST.

And they actually had years of flight training and actually flew SS1 to altitude ...

[Namechange User]

Do you think that with all these various sub-orbital ventures that the term "Astronaut" will be cheapened ??.

I've played football and baseball in the past.  That doesn't mean I call myself a "football player" or "baseball player".

I think it's a good thing that the conventional wisdom will be challenged a bit.  It means we're making progress. 

[antonioe]

Hey, guys!  Cut it out!  You're going to ruin the market!...

[hop]

I've played football and baseball in the past.  That doesn't mean I call myself a "football player" or "baseball player".

Having ridden on several different airplanes, I consider myself an accomplished aeronaut. If you want to take away my aeronaut wings, you'll have to pry them from my cold dead fingers! And don't even think about touching my aquanaut fins, I've paddled a canoe!

[NUAETIUS]

Don't worry Antonioe, if you ride a Pegasus or the COTS Taurus II into orbit, I think you would have the right to chalenge any living Astronaut for his wings.  That would make the Armadillo Aerospace space diving look weak.

[Adama]

Do you think that with all these various sub-orbital ventures that the term "Astronaut" will be cheapened ??

No, but it will make things very confusing.
Even today, people are using terms astronaut, cosmonaut, taikonaut etc. in a very illogical way.
For instance,
- career ASTROnauts (ESA) who fly with Soyuz are called cosmonauts,
- career COSMOnauts who fly with shuttle are called astronauts,
- TAIKOnauts (which really don't even exist) are called either astronauts or cosmonauts,
- space tourists who fly in space are called astronauts,
- career astronauts who never get their flight are called astronauts as well,
- shuttle payload specialists are listed as astronauts, except for Christa McAuliffe who is a "spaceflight participant",
- not to mention that the 100 km borderline is arbitrary, and US Airforce has a different borderline for space and astronautism...

It seems that the final frontier is very much messed up.

IMHO just because a Paris Hilton has the money to pay for one of these sub-orbital flights, it doesn't make her an Astronaut.....

Not a career astronaut anyway. I think NASA, ESA etc. should come up with a job title that clearly tells about the career/professional status.
It could simply be "NASA astronaut", "ESA astronaut", or something like. It says it all.

But while on the subject of Paris Hilton, sending her and other celebs in space would be the best thing to happen since Laika. While I don't think very highly of Paris Hilton (in fact, I don't think about Paris Hilton at all...), I would rather see Paris Hilton doing 10 minute suborbital spaceflight than a dozen military flyboy career astronauts landing on the Moon.

Space needs heroes like Paris Hilton... 

[kevin-rf]

But while on the subject of Paris Hilton, sending her and other celebs in space would be the best thing to happen since Laika. While I don't think very highly of Paris Hilton (in fact, I don't think about Paris Hilton at all...), I would rather see Paris Hilton doing 10 minute suborbital spaceflight than a dozen military flyboy career astronauts landing on the Moon.

Space needs heroes like Paris Hilton... 

The advantage of sending (and bringing back safely ) celeb's into space is after the flights they will do the talk show/late night rounds and (assuming they had a good trip) talk up how much of a life changing experience it was and how we should do more up there. It would be a very big positive.

Air shows are used the same way by the DOD, to beef up support. The money spent for a B-2/B-1/B-52/F-15/F-16/F-22/A-10/F-18/C-5/C-17/c-130 flyby, demonstration is well spent. Same with ship weeks when a large number of active duty navy ships make a port call. You should see the lines when ever the Kennedy comes to Boston. Harpoon brewery has to shut down because they can't get from the brewery to there warehouse across the street.

[Blappy]

The term Astronaut will not be cheapened.  The early people to fly into space will always be remembered as such.

Eventually people flying into space will be nothing special.  When someone flys on an airliner do you go "Wow!  What was that like?!?!?"  Not likely.  People readin this message have probably flown in the last 48 hours.