Citizens As Astronauts

Space Is Now Available?

XCOR Lynx Model

I have been following XCOR Aerospace since last year after attending Next-Generation Suborbital Researchers Conference. I was excited to know they were gearing up, along with a few other companies, to provide suborbital space flights for microgravity-research and tourism. This could have not came at a better time for the space industry as a whole. Since the end of NASA space shuttle program in 2011, the era for space travel and exploration seemed unclear.

In the past space travel and research has always been experienced by only a handful of human elites. That is to say "If you wasn't part of  NASA or any other government space program, you did not participate in space". The game has been changing slowly lately after numerous of  opportunities surrounding space has come available. From space challenges hosted by The X-Prize Foundation, opportunities for researchers in  NASA Flight Opportunities Program, and now private companies like XCOR who are taking the lead and building a future platform and model for the suborbital industry.

Reserve A Trip to Outer Space

I also had the pleasure talking with old colleagues and new mover and shakers in the suborbital research and travel industry. Mr Edward Wright with United States Rocket Academy was one of them. Ed Wright Citizens in Space program helps educators and researchers, in placing their payloads in space. Another part of the project includes citizens as astronauts, to act as operators for experiments.

Ahmed Abdullah, Sean Casey, Colonel

Old Friends & New Faces

Ahmed Abdullah and  Manoel Belem

The best part of all was the meetings with old colleagues and friends, like Dr Sean Casey with Silicone Valley Space Research Center (left photo middle) who himself is a leader in the suborbital industry. Last year after launching one of the first unheard of commercial suborbital conference in Silicone Valley, Ca. Dr Casey feature some of the 

industry most well respected professionals on the panel.