LAS
CRUCES, New Mexico -- Space travelers just want to have fun.
According
to several veteran shuttle astronauts, future space tourists should carefully
plan their out-of-this-world experience. Plot out your favorite free-fall
activities, carefully select your camera gear--but don't hog the window!
A
panel of U.S. astronauts--each a member of the Association of Space Explorers--offered
their advice for commercial space travelers at the 2nd International
Symposium for Personal Spaceflight, held here as prelude to the Wirefly X Prize
Cup competitions slated for October 20-21 at the Las Cruces International
Airport.
"Life Changing Experience"
Former
shuttle astronaut, Tom Jones, said that space travel has been a "life changing
experience" for those that have been privileged to work in space. "It ranks
right up there with getting married or watching your children being born."
Jones
too said that anybody taking a space voyage must make the most of that
experience. There's nothing like falling around the planet every 90 minutes at
5 miles per second, he remarked.
One
suggestion from Jones is don't monopolize the window.
Space
is "strange but wonderful", Jones explained, spotlighting the
three-dimensional, physical freedom afforded anybody in microgravity. "Make the
most of it. For the first time in your life you'll be able to juggle in many
cases," he observed.
Space
tourists should make a "to do" list before they depart Earth, whether its days
of orbital flight or 10 minutes of suborbital weightlessness. Be it playing
with water, or tossing candy around, or just having face time at the spaceship
window--"make a list and make a plan," Jones suggested.
Prioritize your activities
From
astronaut Leroy Chiao, there are several key things to consider if you're ready
for personal space travel.
"You
can't really simulate it on the ground," Chiao said. "You can't really prepare
for what it's really going to be like."
Still,
as for key tips, Chiao said an orbital space tourist should think ahead about
what they're going to do and prioritize their activities.
"You
won't believe how quickly a week will go by," Chiao said. "Take the time to
enjoy the view. The Earth everywhere is beautiful." [See Leroy Chaio's Top 10 Images from Space here.]
Practice, practice, practice
Shuttle
astronaut Mario Runco recommended studying your geology before heading off into
suborbital or orbital space. Depending on your trek, prepare yourself for the landscapes
you'll be cruising over.
Runco
provided a tutorial on the right cameras to haul into space, f-stops, shutter
speeds--but also underscored that a space tourist before blastoff needs to
"practice, practice, practice" using photography gear.
"Get
you camera, buy the lenses, practice on the ground...take hundreds of photographs
of your children, cars in traffic," Runco advised, all to hone your picture
taking skills.
Given
digital camera technology of the day, it's far easier to sharpen you
camera-snapping techniques.
"You
see your picture, you know what you did wrong...then take another one under very
similar conditions," Runco explained. But his bottom line suggestion: "If
you're going to go through this effort [of space travel]...don't take a happy
snap camera up there."
Chiao
said that space sickness--experienced by many space travelers in the past--is now
being handled successfully via medications.
"I
go up into space...no problem and I feel great" Chaio said. "It's when I come
back it takes me a little while to get over the queasiness and dizziness."
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