You have waited your whole life for such a flight; now the day has come to take the ride of your lifetime. Your day begins with a special astronaut's breakfast and a brief photo shoot. Then you board the Rocketplane XP to begin a ride that will forever transform your life and your perception of Earth.
The flight with the Rocketplane XP begins on the runway of Spaceport Oklahoma and lifts its wheels off the concrete. Taking off just like a conventional business jet, the XP climbs rapidly using its air-breathing engines. Within a few minutes you reach an altitude of over 12.000 meters. At this point your very experienced former NASA-pilot flips the switch to ignite the powerful rocket engine, pulling up into a nearly vertically climb. Then almost vertically it goes upwards, the rocket engine burns for 70 seconds, accelerating XP to more than 1.067 meters each second and carries the Rocketplane XP on more than 100,580 m (330,000 feet).
As the engines are switched off, the noises also fall silent. In an almost silent flight you look through the window and see the spectacular view of Earth, a view that only a select group of people has ever seen before. You feel the sensation of the weightlessness, and Rocketplane XP soars up into space. Now you have earned your 'Civilian Astronaut Wings' and you have reserved yourselves with this flight a small space in the history of human spaceflights. After some minutes the descent maneuver begins. Under the load of several gs (max. 3.5 - 4.5 G) you are pushing down in your seat, you are on the highest roller coaster journey of your life. The Rocketplane XP usess a specially developed heat protection which prevents the heat of the lower atmosphere layers from harming the spaceplane. By the friction in the atmosphere the flight loses speed, and Rocketplane XP is slowed to a sub-sonic glide. After the XP has descended into the lower atmosphere, your pilot-astronaut restarts the normal air-breathing jet engines again, and your Rocketplane flies back again like a conventional business jet to Spaceport Oklahoma, on which he touches down then on the big runway.
You return to the Spaceport Oklahoma Mission Control Center and are greeted by family and friends eager to hear about your experience. Your day concludes with a reception and the honor of receiving your civilian astronaut wings.
The program:
CAST-Program (Civilian Astronaut Space Training)
The first flight dates are at the end of 2009.
Our training program contains the individual ' Civilian Astonaut Space Training (CAST) program' which takes place in two locations in Oklahoma, the USA. The space flight occurs directly after your training or within two weeks after the end of the CAST program.
CAST Program:
Day 1 and 2: Flight-medical investigation / Aeromedical program
These special investigations were developed in cooperation of national and private agencies. You get to know the physical consequences of a flight, your physical fitness is checked and are prepared by personal fitness coaches. In addition, you are investigated by flight surgeons. The flight-medical programs contain the pressure chamber, an orientation test and a test of the vestibular-system (balance sense) on the rotating chair as well as different emergency procedures as for example the behavior in case of fire, pressure loss etc. During the first two days you experience after your training a supporting program with views and examination of Oklahoma City. You spend the nights (incl. full board) at the Oklahoma Spaceport.
Day 3, 4 and 5: Mission Training
Now it goes with great steps to the approach to your personal mission, the mission of your life: You receive insights into the technology of the Rocketplane XP and visit the facilities of Oklahoma Spaceport, the mission Control and the OSIDA-Facility. You get to know the development, the servicing and the flight coordination of the Rocketplanes and meet the flight crew and the ground team who will prepare and coordinate your space flight. You start the days with fitness trainings and learn the necessary flight procedures. After the classes different test and exercises are prevented, so that you are prepared for your space flight in the best way what is possible. In the afternoons you receive classes to physics and technology of the space flight, sit in simulators and practice on the computers whose programs are cut directly on your personal mission.
We allow the best trainings by guidelines of NASA and other organizations to you, to be able to give you all skills for the "ride of your life".
Day 6: Space Flight
The morning begins with a common breakfast, with the complete flight team at 6.45 o'clock. At approx. 7.30 o'clock the preparations begin for your personal space flight. You will put on your personal flight suit and you will get your special equipment. Also, you will receive your "mission case", a suitcase which you can lead personal things (up to 1kg) with yourselves. Also, you will find inside the mission case a mini DV-camera and a digital photo-camera, which you can keep after the flight. After that, you are prepared very well to report to the future generations about your unique experience. Now follows a flight security-briefing which makes you close again with all factors familiar which are important for your space flight.
Then the doors of the mission control centre opens. Members of the family and friends wave to you from the start place if you mount the Rocketplane XP. The ground crew and the technicians will accompany you personally in the airplane. You will fasten your seat belts and you go trough a checklist with your technicians, so that all safety regulations are kept perfectly. Your safety is up to us first!
After an about half-hourly Check-Up the engines are turned on, and you fly up to 330,000 feet height (100 km)!
This flight will be a sensation for you! You will experience the g forces which have an effect during the rise on you, enjoy the breathtaking view of the earth and the complete weightlessness; afterwards you will have a roller coaster journey with the reentry.
After happy return to Oklahoma Spaceport you will conceive from your darlings and friends and experience with them together an after-flight party at which you also receive the absolutely popular and unique 'Civilian Cosmonaut Wings'.
After this experience you will be able to say:
"I was involved. I flew into space and saw the darkness above myself, and the blue earth under myself. I saw stars which asked to me in the absolute darkness to rise still higher. I felt the weightlessness and the forces which pressed on me.
I will never forget this hour of my personal experience my life long and live any time on it. I have felt it, with every cell of my body and with tense senses. It was breathless, overpowering and the biggest experience of my life!"