Like we plan for destination vacation tours to Panama, Paris, or Africa, you can now start preparing yourself for a tour in the orbital space. Owing to the launch of commercial space tours for private tourists, visiting interplanetary space will no longer be a fictitious dream. You will not only be literal about “touring the moon and back” but also will be able to experience weightlessness and the famed moonwalk.
While your sixth-grade dream may be slowly forming shape, securing a spot on the inaugural spaceship should be one of the key priorities. However, you do not want to break your bank, getting the ticket to be turned back on the tour’s material day. Unlike the usual trips by road, sea, or air, to get space tour-ready may take more than the regular backpack. Here are five key points to consider as you prepare for your orbital space tour.
Get to know your space tour sites.
Unlike tours on new locations within your county or other countries globally, it is not practical to be impromptu about space travel. Get to know more about the place of choice. Is the inter-terrestrial space habitable? Are there threats that we may encounter on our tour?
For starters, you need to identify your desired tour location long before the tour. Apart from arousing your curiosity, knowing more about your space tour destination will also give you an edge over the hobbies and activities you can have around that space site. Again, you get the mental picture that will help you psychologically prepared.
In addition to that, since the length of space tour stay varies from a few minutes to few days and even weeks, decide on how long you wish to stay in the orbital space before you travel back.
Acquire a medical clearance for the orbital space visit
On health matters, you do not want to gamble, especially when your physician is out of reach. Having a comprehensive medical checkup well in advance gives you a fair chance to get your body in good health before your trip. Well-known astronauts like will tell you that preparing to visit the orbital space will require similar attention similar to that given to athletes in Olympics.
Again, ensure that your physique complies with the recommended form of cosmonauts. That means your body weight should range between 50kg (110lb) and 95kg (209lb). At the same time, the recommended body height range from 160cm (5’3”) to 183cm (6’1”), respectively. Being on a space tour requires one to be flexible enough and to be as fit as possible.
As you check your physical wellbeing, do not forget your mental health is equally crucial. Having mental acuity sees to it that you enjoy this lifetime moment.
Train on how to respond to zero gravity as you travel to space
Training is paramount for anyone who wishes to set on adventurous space travel so that they can adapt to the unsettling centrifugal forces as the rocket departs from the earth. Attaining this kind of endurance may need one to take part in one or two simulated space launches in a space camp.
As if not enough, you also need to practice performing basic tasks such as exercise, eating, cooking, or even passing out body waste while there is zero gravity. On this anticipated trip, you will experience zero gravity immediately after you leave earth. Apart from weightlessness, you will be floating alongside anything that is not well attached to the spaceship. If you want to be well acquainted with the weightlessness experience, you don’t have to wait for the material day to do it in space. You can experience it by flying in a Zero-G modified Boeing 727-200 or a G-FORCE ONE®. As these flights fly just above the earth and make parabolic arcs, you can experience weightlessness where you can float in the air as though you were in space.
Shop for your space tour’s service provider
With your body being physically fit for the space tour, you now need to consider your travel arrangements.
Here, look for the available space tour agencies and probe them for details on their packages. As you interrogate the different offers in the market, be careful to get those licensed to operate and provide the space tourism service.
When checking the space tour budget, do not be shy to compare market prices. Again, long before settling for an orbital space travel company, have your eyes on the differences in the space tour itinerary offered by different travel agencies. Here, enquire whether the agency will provide pre-visit training and other features like photography and videography. As for the itinerary, be keen to learn where your service provider will be taking you, and the time you shall spend off the earth. This will be very instrumental when you are packing for this trip.
Ask your prospective space travel agency whether the reentry method from space will be through a capsule or using a spacecraft. Remember, landing using a capsule as you return from space maybe more bumpy than when using a spaceship.
Packing for the out of space tour
Having picked out the best space tour service provider, you can now start thinking of what to and what not to carry with you to your trip.
Apart from the recommended coverall space suits, your packing list should contain a few essential and approved items.
While this is set, traveling to space does not mean you will not have the human needs. So, your packing list should be intentional, not to omit provisions for space food and personal hygiene in the interstellar space. Try your best not to carry foods that crumble as this may end up flying off and clogging up the machines in your space-travel vehicle.
Remember to include your favorite novels, music, or even movies with you on the same note. Else, you may end up suffocating with boredom during your trip. As you do this, if you will be in space for a long, you need to make arrangements on how you will keep in touch with your world. As you enjoy the cosmic dust, network reception from your local service providers will not be accessible. That means you have to explore other means of communication such as satellite phones and computers. To be safe, ensure that any communication device you carry with you is licensed, and one that will not interfere with the transmissions from the spacecraft.
As you well know, fulfilling this dream may cost you a fortune. So, try to maximize your experience. The trick to get an optimal adventure heavily relies on how well you manage your time when in the deep-space.