INTRODUCTION:

“It is difficult to say what is impossible, for yesterday’s dream is today hope and tomorrow’s reality”

– Robert Goddard

Over the course of human history there has always been a strong drive to explore and travel to new and exciting places. Humanity is bound to reach its limits on Earth soon as the largest percentage of it has been explored and the remaining challenges and destinations are known. So what’s next destination? Since the beginning of civilisation human being has immense curiosity to explore secrets of space. They always had great desire to fly in the sky like a bird and travel into deep space. Several authors have been revealed their space fantasy on their books. This became reality on April 12, 1961, when the first man stepped into the space. It was the remarkable achievement for humanity. But apparently from last six to seven decades space exploration were only for scientific purposes. Space travel for recreation purpose was not existence before sixties because space exploration was in tender age. However, humanity was always longing for space travel and to know secrets of space. Surprisingly, the idea of “space travel for recreational purpose” first time introduced by enthusiasts Ehricke and Barron Hilton in 1967¹. Since than, there was no made any ground endeavour to make space tourism reality. This is because, space was the strictly within the domain of government funded national agencies and professional astronauts. Meanwhile, conceptually space tourism was firmly growing in academic and scientific research work. At the beginning of 21^st Century Mr. Dennis Tito became the first space tourist has entered the International Space Station in 2001 at a ticket price of 20 million dollar². When space tourism became reality one big question raised, that was “what the main attractions of space tourism, why people would like to travel into space?.

The answer of above question conceal in this definition “Space Tourism is the notion that paying passenger will have the opportunity to travel beyond the earth’s atmosphere and experience orbital flight, prolonged stays in rotation space hotels, and as well participate in research, entertainment and even sports while in outer space”³.

Travel in space itself wonderful experience, uniqueness, adventures, sensational, thriller and incredible, all super natural experiences will be available at one place. Most amazing opportunity, tourist can see amazing unforgettable scene view of their home planet. There are many unique, challenging, and fun experiences activities are possible in space for passengers in different manner.

Space Tourism Adventures

Interestingly, Space adventures can be divided in three major categories-

1. Sub Orbital Adventures

An altitude between 100 km to 160 km above the Earth sea level is generally known as a sub- orbital space. Sub-orbital trip the trajectory of space flight at 100 km or more altitude, tourist can enjoy the weightlessness for about two minutes and see Earth’s curvature and thin blue mantle of atmosphere.

2. Orbital Adventures

There are many adventures activities possible in orbital space-

(i) View Earth from Space

Market research has shown that most of people want to see the earth from space. There are many opportunity to see spectacular view of earth from space. The experienced comment, astronauts say it is impossible to describe the grandeur of the earth as they have seen it from orbit. Whole Mountain ranges, volcanoes, entire glaciers, storms, and ocean currents –endless amount of detail on a very intriguing planet. Seeing the entire earth, otherwise impossible to achieve in a lifetime, can now be done in a few days. Circling around our beautiful planet you can enjoy 16 sunrises and 16 sunsets in the same day. Our cities and large structures like dams, bridges, appear to be nothing compared to vast polar caps or the magnificence of the Himalayas and China great wall. However, on the night side of the planet light from villages, towns and cities clearly revel how extensively people have taken over planet⁴. Space traveller has breakthrough to get ultimate experiences to view their home planet as circle around it once every 90 minutes.

(ii) Weightlessness

The situation in zero gravity, where body free fallen without any gravitational force. Just like flying in sky like birds, this is great opportunities to your mind experiences, feel unique freedom while floating weightlessness. It change everything from sleep to eating, none of other fun experiences comparable to weightlessness.

(iii) Spacewalk

The important part of activities, which used by astronauts or cosmonauts for rescue, maintenance and scientific experiment of space station or spaceship, its external activity operates in outside of spacecraft or space station.

Space walk as a tourism point of view ultimate adventure opportunity to float above the earth, feel the bungee jumping thriller, parasailing and skydiving all excitements together. It’s rarest and inspiring experience for space tourist.

(iv) Look Deeper in Space

During space vacation, tourist would be able to find more closely and clearer view of much brighter stars, planets, natural satellites, dust and many more objects in space.

There is amazing view only possible in space which is without twinkling stars because there’s no atmosphere between you and stars. Watching in deeper space would be ultimate fun and attract people for being space tourist.

(v) Zero-Gravity Games

Zero-Gravity environment the condition of weightlessness will offer a new way to play, and being in orbit will provide a new view of their favourite playground. Zero –gravity provide a variety of gaming option include racing, aerobatic, chase game, dancing, play with food and float around.

In coming future, when many space hotels will be formulated there, then they will be surely add more and more games option for guest entertainment.

(vi) Experimental Experience

Curiosity, to find out how something works in space, the opportunity to get experiences, who is science lover. They can entertain self through the many type’s scientific experiments with astronauts and enjoy their space vacation.

(vii) Re-entry Thrillers

The last part of any space journey is re-entry, means when spacecraft move toward for returning home from outer space. Re-entry is very crucial part of any space mission; this process requires special methods to protect again aerodynamic heating. Space vehicle re-entry is sensational thriller activity; tourist can enjoy the situation of crucial landing.

3. Moon Based Adventures

Trip to moon it great adventures; when tourism on Moon will be realistic there will be unlimited forms of entertainment. Almost anything that can be done on the earth will be done on the Moon. Apollo 14, mission crew Alan Shepard demonstration, they played Golf with Wilson six –iron head attached to a lunar sample scoop handle⁵. Even transport on the Moon could be good fun. Due to the gravity on Moon being one sixth that of Earth’s, it means that you can jump a lot higher, and hence further too.

CONCLUSION:

So, it is quite clear that entertainment and adventures can easily include into any space trip.

REFERENCE:

1. Hilton, Barron (1967): “ Hotel in Space” Based on Preprint AAS 67-126, ASS Conference Proceeding. (Also available at http://www.spacefuture.com/archive/hotel in space .shtml)

2. Joanne, Randolph (2003) “ Dennis Tito : First Space Tourist”, Rosen Publishing Group, New York (USA), P.5

3. O Barrett (1999) : An Evaluation of the potential demand for Space Tourism within the United Kingdom, Bournemouth University, Dorset, England. P.6 ((Also available at http://www.spacefuture.com)

4. Eric, Anderson & Joshua Piven (2005) : The space tourist’s handbook: where to go, what to see and how prepare. Quirk Book, Philadelphia.

5. Jones, Eric M. (1995) : EVA-2 Closeout and Golf shots, Apollo 14 Lunar surface Journal (Also available at http://history.nasa.gov/alsj/a14/a14. clsout2.html)

Received on 05.03.2014 Modified on 12.03.2014

Int. J. Ad. Social Sciences 2(1): Jan. –Mar., 2014; Page 20-21