Eric Anderson, CEO of Space Adventures, the space tourism firm that arranged Gregory Olsen's voyage has teamed up with Joshua Piven, co-author of "The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook" to write The Space Tourist's Handbook.

The book covers destinations, modes of travel, accommodations, sightseeing, meals and costs.

The packages are rated on three criteria: mission time, travel and training time, and cost, which can range from one dollar sign (symbolizing a trip costing less than $10,000) to five dollar signs (standing for a trip that costs more than $1 million.)

Since the only ship currently offering tourists passage to the International Space Station is the Russian Soyuz, the handbook also includes a helpful list of phonetic Russian phrases such as Olya che-VOH EH-tah KNOHP-ka? ("What does this button do?")

There are also tips and etiquette for everything from sleeping to eating to bathing to using the vacuum toilets (Lesson 1: Make sure there is a tight seal between your body and the toilet seat.)

Details in DesMoines Register. Found in France2 info.

NASA engineers have tested out a prototype unmanned sailplane that can detect and use rising air thermals to gain altitude. Once it finds a thermal, it turs off its engine and circles to stay within the updraft. NASA hopes to develop techniques for using thermals that could extend the range of unmanned aerial vehicles that often have very limited fuel.

During the tests the 14-foot-wingspan model added 60 minutes to its endurance by autonomous thermal soaring.

"The flights demonstrated a small unmanned vehicle can mimic birds and exploit the free energy that exists in the atmosphere," said NASA aerospace engineer Michael Allen.

Small, portable, unpiloted, long-endurance vehicles could fulfill a number of observation roles including forest fire monitoring, traffic control, search and rescue.

Via Universe Today. Press release. Also in the Raw Feed. Picture Nasa.

Starting next month, Nissin Food Products will shoot a promotional spot on the International Space Station for Cup Noodle, featuring a sales pitch by a hungry Russian cosmonaut.

The commercial will air in Japan in November as part of Nissin's "Cup Noodle No Border" campaign,.

Space Films will send a high-def camera to the space station aboard a Russian rocket launch Oct. 1 and direct the filming from Russia's Mission Control Center outside Moscow.

If you're looking for extraterrestrial publicity, the agency will be leaving the camera at the space station in the hope of shooting more advertisements.

Via Agenda < Boston news.

The National Space Biomedical Research Institute is exploring the concept of a bike-like centrifuge to be used by astronauts for inflight resistance-training exercise.

The Space Cycle recreates various levels of gravity ranging from Earth gravity to five times Earth’s gravity. The speed of rotation determines the level of gravitational force.

There's two participants: one on a bike and the other on a platform. As one person pedals, the cycle moves in a circular motion around a centralized pole. The motion generates pressure on the rider, forcing him against the seat in a manner similar to the effect of gravity on Earth. On the platform, the other person performs squat exercises.

"Space Cycle is an artificial gravity exercise gym," said Dr. Vincent J. Caiozzo at NSBRI. "The platform can be fitted with a treadmill, bike or any kind of exercise equipment and provides an environment for exercise under normal, Earth-like loading conditions."

Now if the local gym could get one of those, i might consider investing in a membership (to watch the live show.)


Press release. Pictures.

A spacecraft skin is being developed that assesses the severity of any damage it suffers from space debris and other impacts.

CSIRO in Australia and NASA have created a model skin made up of 192 separate cells. Behind each cell is an impact sensor and a processor with algorithms that allow it to communicate with its immediate neighbours. Just as ants's pheromones help guide other ants to food, the algorithms leave digital messages in cells around the system, indicating for instance the position of the boundary around a damaged region. The cell's processor can use this information to route data around the affected area.

The team hopes to refine the system so it can distinguish between different types of damage, such as corrosion and sudden impacts.

NASA's ultimate aim is to create what it calls Ageless Aerospace Vehicles, which can detect, diagnose and fix damage

Via New Scientist.

As part of George Bush's push to revisit the Moon by 2018, Nasa is using the Hubble Space Telescope to scout possible locations for a moon base where humans can live, work and breathe.

While there is no law in space, a claim of ownership has been made by US entrepreneur Dennis Hope, who in 1980 spotted a loophole in the 1967 United Nations Outer Space Treaty. Plots have been put up for sale ever since. Thus in the 18 months since Bush's announcement, he has received numerous letters from lunar property owners, which typically read thus:

"I do worry that the future space station might be built on my lot. So I would like to inform you that I might allow the US government to do so, but only if I am paid for that area. If this should happen, I would be ready to enter into negotiations with the US officials."

UN lawyers say Hope's claim is without merit. But Lunar Embassy has sold nearly £5m worth of plots, with 3.4m owners worldwide, including Carrie Fisher, William Shatner, the Pope, George W Bush and 30 Nasa employees.

Via archinect < BBC News.