Space travel sure has come a long way since the time of Yuri Gagarin. It was Dennis Tito, a billionaire from California, the first and Mark Shuttleworth, the South African businessman, the second tourist, to venture in to space purely for pleasure. Later Greg Oslen also made it. Little wonder then we have a permanent manned outpost in space in the form of the International Space Station (ISS).
And now, those in the Middle East who wish to go into space comes an opportunity. There is a plan to develop a commercial spaceport in Ras Al Khaimah, from where it will operate suborbital flights.
His Highness Shaikh Saqr Bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, member of the Supreme Council and ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, and the emirate’s Department of Civil Aviation have granted clearance to Space Adventures Ltd to operate suborbital flights from the emirate. The project will cost $265 million (Dh975 million), officials said.
The Russian-built suborbital vehicle called Explorer will have the capacity to transport up to five people to an altitude of nearly 100km in space, but the project’s schedule is yet to be announced.
The spaceport will be funded among others by the government of Ras Al Khaimah and Space Adventures. The Virginia-based company is also partnering Ras Al Khaimah to expand the spaceport project beyond UAE to other potential space toursim locations such as Singapore and the United States.
“I am proud to announce Ras Al Khaimah as the site where commercial suborbital travel will flourish,” said Shaikh Saud Bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Ras Al Khaimah crown prince and deputy ruler.
“As a leader in tourism, the UAE is the ideal location for the spaceport,” said Eric Anderson, president and CEO of Space Adventures.
The UAE spaceport, to be located less than an hour’s drive from Dubai, already has commitments for $30 million (Dh110 million).
By: N. Peter Kramer
