Space Travel Of The Future: 7 Vehicles That May One Day Take You To Space

Saturday's launch of the Mars Rover Curiosity got us thinking -- why do robots get to have all the fun in space?

So we decided to bring you seven different vehicles that may one day take you to the final frontier. Expensive balloon? Check. Capsule atop a reusable launch vehicle? Check. NASA's next-generation launch vehicle? Check.

And if you're worried that $200,000 is too much to pay for a jaunt on Sir Richard Branson's SpaceShipTwo, then you still have time to get your astronaut application into NASA.

Finally, if there is any question of whether or not you want to go into space, you should definitely look at this awesome flowchart from Wired's Kristian von Bengtson.

LOOK: Seven Ways You May Be Able To Get To Space:

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• Bloon - Zero2Infinity's Balloon

  The bloon, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/24/bloon-space-balloon-pictures-video_n_935415.html" target="_hplink">a helium-filled balloon</a>, will take a capsule with as many as six people to 118,000 feet -- not quite outer space, but near space. The company expects to make its first commercial flight in 2013. The cost? €110,000, or about $147,000.

• NASA

  NASA announced in September that <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/14/nasa-space-launch-system-sls_n_962051.html" target="_hplink">it's developing the Space Launch System (SLS)</a>, a heavy-lift rocket that will one day take humans farther than ever before. The 34-story rocket will carry six astronauts aboard the <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/systems/mpcv/" target="_hplink">Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle</a>. <a href="http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2392960,00.asp" target="_hplink">According to PC Mag</a>, NASA will spend $18 billion over the next five years developing the SLS. With <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/14/space-shuttle-program-qa-_n_861994.html" target="_hplink">the retirement of the space shuttle program</a>, NASA currently pays Russia around $60 million per person to get American astronauts into space. Remember, there's still time <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/15/nasa-to-hire-new-astronauts_n_1095686.html" target="_hplink">to apply to be an astronaut</a>.

• Virgin Galactic

  Over 450 "astronauts" have already booked a $200,000 spot on Sir Richard Branson's SpaceShipTwo, a craft that will take passengers to an altitude of 110 km (68.3 miles). Branson hopes to begin commercial flights in 2013, but that date could get pushed back. "We want to be sure we've really tested the craft through and through before turning it over to the astronauts who bought tickets to go up," he said in October, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/18/richard-branson-dedicates_n_1017226.html" target="_hplink">according to the Associated Press</a>. "If it takes a bit longer, we'll take a little bit longer." Passengers will experience about five minutes of weighlessness during the 2 1/2 hour sub-orbital spaceflight.

• SpaceX

  In December 2010, SpaceX <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/16/spacex-international-space-station_n_927916.html" target="_hplink">became the first private company</a> to have a spacecraft re-enter orbit, <a href="http://www.spacex.com/press.php?page=20101208" target="_hplink">when its Dragon spacecraft</a> orbited earth twice and then landed in the Pacific Ocean. Next stop? The International Space Station. A representative from SpaceX told HuffPost that a Dragon capsule carrying supplies to the ISS will launch in early 2012. It will be the first commercial company to berth a spacecraft with the space station. But you're going to have to be a NASA astronaut to hitch a ride to space with SpaceX, as the company doesn't have any plans in the near future for space tourism.

• Blue Origin

  Blue Origin, the notoriously-secretive company underwritten by Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos, is developing both orbital and sub-orbital launch vehicles to take people into space. <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/03/blue-origin-spaceship-fai_n_947731.html" target="_hplink">The company recently released video</a> of a test of its New Shepard rocket, a three-person capsule and launch vehicle that the company is planning to use to take space tourists "to the edge of space." The cost and timeline of the completion of the New Shepard is unclear. <a href="http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nasa-awards-next-set-of-commercial-crew-development-agreements-120113774.html" target="_hplink">In April, Blue Origin was awarded</a> $22 million from NASA "to advance commercial crew space transportation system concepts and mature the design and development of elements of their systems, such as launch vehicles and spacecraft."

• Space Adventures/Armadillo Aerospace

  Space Adventures, a company that has sent seven private citizens to the International Space Station, <a href="http://www.spaceadventures.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=news.viewnews&newsid=791" target="_hplink">announced in 2010</a> that it would partner with Armadillo Aerospace to provide suborbital spaceflights. The <a href="http://www.spaceadventures.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=suborbital.Vehicle_Design" target="_hplink">two-passenger rocket</a> will land and take-off vertically and allow for a 360-degree view of the earth below. According to Jaunted, the rocket will travel 62 miles above the earth. <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/13/space-adventures-undercuts-virgin-galactic-announces-100-000/" target="_hplink">Engadget reports</a> that a flight to space will set you back $102,000.

• Orbital Technologies' Space Hotel

  Of course, you'll need somewhere to put your bags once you're in space. Orbital Technologies, a Russian company, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/21/space-hotel-pictures-video_n_931951.html" target="_hplink">is building a space hotel</a> where 7 guests will be able to dine on veal cheeks and wild mushrooms at 217 miles above the earth. The company is planning to open the hotel in 2016. <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/08/19/russia-space-tourism-idUSLDE77F0PF20110819" target="_hplink">According to Reuters</a>, a five-day stay will set you back a cool $1 million.

• Video: "Nasa Searches For Life Clues on Mars" info

Comments

[Reno Fickler]

11:05 PM on 04/15/2013

H2 had a wonderful show concerning the aliens 1st, ahem, visit to earth. They got here with basically a ship driven by a sail. The sail was the size of Texas (!) and was powered by photons striking it and eventually had almost reached the speed of light. Of the options for space travel, why not use the one that the power is free and everywhere? I am still wondering how the scientists account for all that energy in space that is simply there and unobservable. All the light emitted since the Big Bang that never 'hit' anything is still out there. The rule of the conservation of energy. I hope one of you smart people can set me right on this issue.

[Trevor HM Cooper]

02:33 PM on 10/08/2012

Tasha9503 is a privately unfunded organization with a design for a rocket that is 100% reusable. Though it only lifts people and cargo to space once, each rocket can then be attached to five other used rockets, cleaned, renovated and used as HotelsInSpace. Being unfunde, Tasha9503 must sell the infrastructure they put in space to raise start up funds. When six are attached, producing one spaceship, it can sleep 216 guests and use its 6 robotic arms to collect SpaceJunk it orbits close to. These spaceships can also feed 36 people on an AwayMission. The key search words are, Tasha9503, LivingInSpace and HotelsInSpace to find four very different sites.

[Durt Bagg]

12:55 AM on 12/05/2011

with today's technology it would take 100,000 years to reach the nearest star system...

[Trevor HM Cooper]

02:37 PM on 10/08/2012

The spaceship designed by Tasha9503 is not a starship and we have no plans to land on other planets. One of what we offer is APlaceInSpaceToPlay

[mheney]

01:34 PM on 12/01/2011

Hmm - What about XCor's Lynx, which is expected to be flying in 2014?

[J P P]

07:20 AM on 12/01/2011

A waste of helium...

[jsand96876]

02:06 AM on 12/01/2011

7 Vehicles That May One Day Take You To Space?

It all sounds great but most people today can't afford the gas to drive down the street let alone go to space?

[FerrisValyn]

02:14 AM on 12/01/2011

The point is we can bring the price of spaceflight down, so that its more accessible. And we can then use space to create more wealth for people.

Its not a crazy idea.

[davyjones2112]

01:37 AM on 12/01/2011

whose credit card ?

[FerrisValyn]

01:58 AM on 12/01/2011

Depends on which vehicle. Some of them are entirely private, some are private public, and so on

[AfterSomeThought]

07:57 PM on 11/30/2011

If you're a fan of this subject, there's a documentary coming out in January about private space travel that highlights the training involved to go to orbit and includes some cool new HD "home movies" from the ISS. It's called MAN ON A MISSION: Richard Garriott's Road to the Stars. www.manonamissionmovie.com

[Daniel Alman]

05:55 PM on 11/30/2011

7 of those are made in the US...

[JayThomas]

04:48 PM on 11/30/2011

How could you leave out XCOR, the only serious winged competitor to Virgin Galactic?

[FerrisValyn]

05:11 PM on 11/30/2011

That disappointed me.

They also should've included Bigelow Aerospace, (the most likely Station supplier), as well as the CST-100 & the Dream chaser.

[darth geekboy]

04:48 PM on 11/30/2011

aren't we suppose to be running out of Helium?

[davyjones2112]

01:47 AM on 12/01/2011

better than running out of oxygen.

[jsand96876]

02:07 AM on 12/01/2011

No, that just a bunch of hot air.

[mojavesquirrel]

04:36 PM on 11/30/2011

I think you left out a top contender... http://www.xcor.com. I'm quite disappointed in this list to see them left out.

[Daemon Process]

02:57 PM on 11/30/2011

I am seriously thinking just the other side of tongue in cheek, about starting chapter of OWS called Occupy the Universe. I think to move forward without it (the universe) being taken into consideration would be an error.

To that end I would say that we challenge ourselves, extend our reach, and move this: http://www.googlelunarxprize.org/ to the planet Mars. Make magnetohydrodynamics or similar technology, a prerequisite; we would end this with a pretty fast way around the solar system, at but days to Mars velocity.

I think America would give the team that pulled it off one billion tax free.

Would probably think that giving five billion to our schools, elementary to graduate, for them to develop the requisite (where applicable green), technology, a good investment. Couldn't be worse than when and where we have invested it lately, in any case. The more so if we then made the technology available to the teams and green-tech start ups.

Something of this nature, if not this, is going to have to come from us... me thinks.

Occupy the Universe.

[Dana Tufts]

05:37 PM on 11/30/2011

Yes! Elementary school students are particularly well suited for developing magnetohydrodynamic propulsion technology!
(WTF?)

[Daemon Process]

08:47 PM on 11/30/2011

I have to explain to you... I really have to explain to you, I seriously, have to explain to you...: of course not? You're not being intellectually honest, and I think the critical part is you don't, or might not know it.

You don't see how one could get elementary school students involved and interested in a project like this? What... it wouldn't be worth it? The "can't do" lack is really, where?

You see, something that god awful simple made sense to you, then you mix belligerent with your ignorance, and expect someone to what?

I don't know what, but part of it is to at least try. And I do know the better part is to do more, than just try. Most people would I think see open ended potential.

What can't or couldn't be done, wouldn't be fun, pay for itself and why...? Are easy. Plus I probably got the engineers already.

The system (the thing taken as a whole) described might be too complex for some people, I can understand that, but such unthinking "where's the glass(?), less than half empty..." sentiments as expressed, might be Jerry Springers fault.

[BurtonDesque]

01:57 PM on 11/30/2011

Got enough cash to blow on space hotels for $1 million a stay? Clearly some people aren't paying enough taxes.

[jsarets]

02:17 PM on 11/30/2011

The economic future of America depends on top earners spending more of their income on domestic product instead of investing it in foreign equities and financial derivatives. Raising marginal tax rates on high income levels is one solution, but developing labor-intensive goods and services that appeal to the aspirations of the wealthy is another solution with arguably better multiplier effects.

If we can get the hedge fund set to spend big bucks on commercial spaceflight, that's a net transfer of wealth from the economic elite to the almost exclusively middle-class workforce of the aerospace industry.

I don't really care if its space tourism or miniature yachts for their pet dogs or "life coaches" to tell them how awesome they are, we need to be exploring any way possible to separate rich people from their money. That's how the middle class fights back in a banana republic.

[Telemachus]

05:48 PM on 11/30/2011

Let's just legalize cocaine and tax the heck out of it.

[cb3cb3]

12:27 AM on 12/01/2011

Wow. You'd rather people pay more in taxes than go to space? In all of humanity, probably fewer than 100 have been to space. I can't believe that is your argument. This is about human evolution and exploration. It is about having more and more people making it to space

[bi-poplar]

01:52 PM on 11/30/2011

In the future, the 1% will spend billions to launch the poor into space. No plans for bringing them back, just sending them into space.

[Tanrioldu]

03:42 PM on 11/30/2011

maybe they should send themselves and leave their money behind

[Daniel Alman]

05:56 PM on 11/30/2011

How does the 1% get into a thread about space travel.

[bi-poplar]

08:55 PM on 11/30/2011

They have their fingers in everything...