Suborbital Spaceflight Experience

Suborbital space is a destination like no other - 10 times higher than the altitude reached by a commercial aircraft, and a third of the way to man’s only orbital outpost – the International Space Station.  You are in space.  No life can be sustained outside the cocooned environment of your spacecraft.  The view is spectacular - you can see the curvature of the earth and see for hundreds of miles in any direction.  Above you, the sky is no longer sky; it is space, and it is black.  And getting there will be a thrill in itself.

Imagine walking to the launch pad and gazing up at your rocket.  Your mind casts back to photos you have seen of Yuri Gagarin and Alan Shepard; and you think of yourself in their shoes and how they must have felt.  You are comforted by the knowledge that what you are about to do is not as reckless, but is on the cutting edge of rocket technology today.  Then, with the help of the launch team, you strap yourself in and wait calmly for the traditional countdown.

Your pulse quickens as you realize that your dreams are about to come true.  You are about to launch to space.

5…4…3…2…1…  Blast off!  The engines fire and you feel the gentle roar.  You gracefully lift off and then the raw power below kicks in and you accelerate upwards.  Just like they said… you feel heavier and heavier and it’s hard to move your limbs, as you are pushed back into your seat.  Wow, this is fun….

The engines burn non-stop for two minutes.  The sky races past you and it turns darker and darker.  The engines shut down and you are surprised by the peace and quiet.  You feel yourself gently lift up as you start to float.  You have reached space – and you’ll wish you could stay there forever!