In Space, No One Is Overweight
Bloomberg Businessweek Middle East|January 01, 2018

Commercial flights will have decidedly sub-NASA training rules for their wealthy tourists

Justin Bachman
In Space, No One Is Overweight

The so-called space billionaires—Jeff Bezos, Richard Branson, and Elon Musk—imagine a day when people will live and work up there, gradually transforming humanity into a multiplanet species. The current step in that direction is the space tourism industry, which, starting as soon as 2018, will let civilians escape Earth’s grasp for a few minutes in exchange for hundreds of thousands of dollars.

We’re well past the days when every astronaut needed Chuck Yeager-caliber right stuff, but the scientists and other civilians NASA has sent to space so far still had to undergo the agency’s formidable training. Because the government is leaving it largely to the commercial space companies to work out their own regimens, far less physical or psychological preparation will be needed for the wealthy people on these spaceflights. While research suggests average humans will be able to handle the physical stresses of millions of pounds of thrust powering an ascent that reaches thousands of miles per hour, Bezos’ Blue Origin, Branson’s Virgin Galactic, and Musk’s SpaceX are entering uncharted territory.

“It’s not like just walking on an airplane and putting on your lap belt and reading a book or falling asleep,” says Dr. James Vanderploeg, chief medical officer for Virgin Galactic LLC, which could begin launching suborbital flights next year. And the bigger question, according to the latest research, is whether people who aren’t real astronauts or fighter pilots can handle the psychological stress of leaving the planet strapped to a rocket.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة January 01, 2018 من Bloomberg Businessweek Middle East.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة January 01, 2018 من Bloomberg Businessweek Middle East.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

المزيد من القصص من BLOOMBERG BUSINESSWEEK MIDDLE EAST مشاهدة الكل
Golfing With The Enemy
Bloomberg Businessweek Middle East

Golfing With The Enemy

Did Donald Trump's executives violate the Cuban embargo?

time-read
10+ mins  |
August 16, 2016
Super-Rich Syrians Wait for War's End
Bloomberg Businessweek Middle East

Super-Rich Syrians Wait for War's End

Actor, author, playwright. Gill Pringle tries her hand at unravelling the mystery behind this enigmatic multi-hyphenate

time-read
10+ mins  |
July 01, 2016
Pam Codispoti
Bloomberg Businessweek Middle East

Pam Codispoti

The mastermind behind the industry-shaping Chase Sapphire Reserve Card sets her sights on banking

time-read
2 mins  |
January 16, 2018
This Time It's The Economy
Bloomberg Businessweek Middle East

This Time It's The Economy

President Rouhani’s budget sets offprotests from people angry about unemployment and inflation

time-read
5 mins  |
January 16, 2018
Saudi Prince Counts On Support Of Citizens
Bloomberg Businessweek Middle East

Saudi Prince Counts On Support Of Citizens

State-worker salary increases appeal to the people, but policy may throw the budget off track

time-read
3 mins  |
January 16, 2018
Stalin's Legacy Is Choking The Ukrainian Economy
Bloomberg Businessweek Middle East

Stalin's Legacy Is Choking The Ukrainian Economy

The government has resisted pressure to lift a ban on land sales, despite pressure from the IMF and investors

time-read
4 mins  |
January 16, 2018
Catastrophe Bonds Survive A Stormy Year
Bloomberg Businessweek Middle East

Catastrophe Bonds Survive A Stormy Year

The turbulence of 2017 couldn’t destroy a market for betting against disasters

time-read
3 mins  |
January 16, 2018
Riding The West Bank's Credit Boom
Bloomberg Businessweek Middle East

Riding The West Bank's Credit Boom

Increased consumer lending is creating a bubble in the West Bank

time-read
3 mins  |
January 16, 2018
You'd Be Crazy To Buy Pizza With Bitcoin
Bloomberg Businessweek Middle East

You'd Be Crazy To Buy Pizza With Bitcoin

Speculative fervour makes the cryptocurrency clumsy for commerce

time-read
3 mins  |
January 16, 2018
What If The President Loses His Party?
Bloomberg Businessweek Middle East

What If The President Loses His Party?

Trump has to figure out a way to work with Republicans in Congress, or the global economy may be at stake

time-read
6 mins  |
August 16, 2017