HAWTHORNE, Calif. - Human spaceflight has long been a goal for SpaceX, the rocket and satellite manufacturing venture of billionaire Elon Musk. Per an update to the company’s website, it appears interested customers can now book their spots on missions to the International Space Station (ISS), moon, and Mars, with flights beginning as early as this year, Jack Daleo reports for Flying. Continue reading original article.
The Military & Aerospace Electronics take:
6 May 2024 - The SpaceX webpage mentions that seats and "on-orbit research opportunities" will be accessible by late 2024. SpaceX is actively seeking outstanding scientific and research concepts to explore the feasibility of sustaining life in space and on other celestial bodies.
These research missions, facilitated by SpaceX's Dragon capsule, have transported over 1,000 research experiments to low-Earth orbit and the ISS since 2012. Interested parties can submit research proposals for evaluation. If chosen, they will collaborate with SpaceX to finalize mission details, train crews, ensure hardware certification, and gather data.
SpaceX offers two types of human spaceflight research opportunities: fitness-focused and exploration-focused. The latter primarily aims at developing medical capabilities for extended missions, potentially to destinations like Mars. Areas of research interest include mental and physical health, as well as virtual or augmented reality.
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Jamie Whitney, Senior Editor
Military + Aerospace Electronics
