Private companies like Blue Origin, Axiom Space, Virgin Galactic, and SpaceX are now preparing to board customers to space. This is a whole new market that is becoming popular as it trains would-be space travelers for their future trip to the stars.
A new company, Orbite, is a space training company that is set to combine aeronautics and five-star experience in its astronaut training program.
Orbite Space Training Program
Jason Andrews, the co-founder of Orbite, told TechCrunch that they are going to have hundreds and thousands of people who will go to space in the next couple of years.
However, that mission is not as easy as it sounds like since travelers need to mentally, physically, and emotionally prepare for it--and that is the goal of the company.
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Orbite was founded by space and hospitality industry veterans Jason Andrews and Nicolas Gaume.
Andrews is an aerospace entrepreneur that founded BlackSky and Spaceflight, while Gaume is a software and game development entrepreneur, and a board member of Groupe Gaume, his family's resort and hotel business.
In 2020, Gaume's business Space Cargo Unlimited shipped dozens of bottles of wine to the International Space Station, according to SpaceNews.
The program will be led by Brienna Rommes, the previous director of space training and research at the National Aerospace Training and Research Center. She has trained more than 600 people to prepare for their trip to space, including Sir Richard Branson.
The aim of the program is to prepare travelers that are determined to go to space, but Andrews said that the company can help customers experience spaceflight through their specialized equipment, so they can decided whether they want to push through with the trip or not.
How it Works
Basically, Orbite wants to give travelers a general idea of what space travel is.
The overall cost of the program is pretty expensive. It is said that a ticket on Axiom's commercial launch to the International Space Station costs $55 million. Orbite's training program costs $29,500 per person for a three-day, four-night stay.
The company's training sessions is divided into four schedules and it will be held throughout the remainder of this year. The program will be held at luxury hotels: Hotel La Corniche in Pyla-sur-Mer, France, and Four Seasons Resort in Orlando, Florida.
Travelers will be able to ride on a high-performance aircraft and simulated zero-gravity crafts.
To prepare the customers mentally and spiritually, the training program itinerary includes a meditation training, a workshop on stress and anxiety management, and individual coaching with the staff.
Virtual reality mission experiences and space food tasting will also be held during the training period, as per Geek Wire.
Orbite's long-term vision is to create and operate a lot of training facilities around the world. The first facility will open either in 2023 or 2024, but the location is still unknown.
Andrews and Gaume stated that the training facility will offer numerous packages, with some as short as single-day experiences. They are also planning to offer accommodation, depending on if they reach a stage in space travel wherein they can send people to the Moon or Mars.
This article is owned by Tech Times
Written by Sophie Webster
