Boeing Starts Space Tourism Business
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Boeing announced on Wednesday that it's entering the space tourism business, the New York Times reports.
The aerospace company is building a seven-person capsule that it hopes will take four NASA astronauts to the International Space Station, leaving three seats up for grabs. “The entrance of an aerospace giant like Boeing perhaps marks the transition of space tourism from a dreamy pursuit of start-up entrepreneurs to a mainstream aerospace market,” the Times remarks.
The announcement comes amidst a fight between the House Science and Technology committee and President Obama over how the US space program should operate going forward.
The House committee envisions NASA following a traditional route, building a government-owned rocket to take astronauts to the International Space Station. Obama's version of the bill focuses on helping private companies develop commercial space travel. NASA would buy seats for their astronauts on those flights.
–Erin Beresini
Photo courtesy of Bruce Tuten on Flickr.
