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This paper was prepared and completed on November 2010 to commemorate the 11 anniversary of the publication of the first
serious article on commercial spaceport and space tourism in a Malaysian newspaper, “KLIA as a Spaceport”. It was published as a
full page article in The Sun on 15 November 1999 from an interview of the principal author by the newspaper.
Space tourism has made popular the idea of commercial 1. SPACEPORTS RESULTING FROM SPACE
spaceflight and commercial spaceport. These commercial RACE
factors of space tourism are transforming spaceflight
from a politically driven to economically driven activity. Space race was the competition in the development of
Both the government and public of today understand that space infrastructures between the United States of
spaceflight is now available commercially to everybody, America (USA) and Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
not only limited to government sponsored astronauts as a (USSR) in the 60s and 70s to dominate space travel and
decade ago. emerge as the most powerful government in the world.
The powerhouse behind the race in both governments
Being commercial is being affordable economically, and was a combination of contemporary technology,
the popularity of space tourism as a form of commercial economy and politics.
spaceflight has created the opportunity for modern small
developing countries to justify the idea of developing The USA and USSR governments were able to compete
commercial spaceports, as the spaceports are suppose to in the space race because both had obtained the required
be economically driven and will promote various rocket technology from Germany after World War II, and
industries directly and indirectly related to it. the USA particularly has the economic capability to do
so, but the most important was that both governments
During the era of commercial orbital spaceflight in the were able to politically justify their very huge spending
future, space tourism will reach maturity when there will of money, human resources and time in the race, and this
be orbital spaceflights transporting space tourists to political justification was more acceptable and important
hotels in orbit. At this stage, commercial spaceports will than the economic justification during that time.
be a major economic generator and catalyst. However,
even during the early stage of space tourism or during the What are now called Kennedy Space Center in the USA
era of commercial suborbital spaceflight, a commercial and Baikonur Cosmodrome in the USSR are the most
spaceport can also be an economic generator and catalyst. significant and physically visible results of the space
race. Without the space race and the eagerness of the
American and USSR governments to dominate the world
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th
This paper was prepared and completed on November 2010 to commemorate the 11 anniversary of the publication of the first serious article on
commercial spaceport and space tourism in a Malaysian newspaper, “KLIA as a Spaceport”. It was published as a full page article in The Sun on 15
November 1999 from an interview of the principal author by the newspaper.
by being the leader in space travel and technology, both the safe dumping of the expendable components of its
Kennedy Space Center and Baikonur Cosmodrome may launch vehicles. Since 80% of the launch vehicles are
not be as huge and costly as they are today. Both dumped as the expendable components, a safe and vast
spaceports are so huge territorially and so costly dumping area is the most important factor in determining
economically that they are not possible to be built with the site of the spaceport.
today’s economic and political scenarios.
These spaceports usually are located on the east coast of
Another reason for the spaceports to be so huge and a continent so that the expendable components of the
costly was that the space launch vehicles which were launch vehicles can be dumped into the ocean on its east.
launched from the spaceports were totally expendable The components fall towards the east because the
launch vehicles and evolved from intercontinental direction and momentum of Earth rotation is towards the
ballistic missiles. Such launch vehicles were not designed east. For a spaceport not located on the east coast of a
to be cost-effective in their development and operation continent, the safe dumping area on its east is a vast
and so did their spaceports. empty dessert or tundra.
These spaceports which were understood to be necessary These spaceports are not only very costly to be developed
to compete in the space race cannot be built anymore and operated, but also cannot be built at locations without
today because there is no more space race and a safe and vast dumping area.
particularly for a modern developing country, such
spending of huge amount of money cannot be justified 3. COMMERCIAL SPACEPORTS RESULTING
economically. FROM SPACE TOURISM
2. SPACEPORTS DEVELOPED BEFORE THE The era of space tourism begins on June 2004 when
ERA OF SPACE TOURISM SpaceShipOne, a piloted prototype of a suborbital
tourism spaceplane had successfully flown to reach 80km
The space race did result in the establishment of the USA from sea level and landed safely. Now, a fleet of
and USSR as the 2 most advanced countries in space commercial suborbital tourism spaceplanes are being
travel and technology and powerful countries in the built based on the prototype and will start carrying space
world. This has encouraged other countries with the tourists very soon. Several other prototypes of suborbital
agenda of being regional powers to develop and operate tourism spaceplane are also being developed around the
similar spaceports. Among these counties were Brazil, world.
China and India.
In a decade or more, orbital tourism spaceplanes will be
Even though these 3 regional powers did not have the flown to take space tourists to orbit. Later, there will be
might of economy like that of the USA or technology as orbital spaceplanes transferring space tourists to hotels in
that of USSR, they did have politically strong enough orbit. During this era of orbital tourism, there will be
regional agendas to develop such spaceports. During that commercial spaceport dedicated to the already matured
time, developing such space travel facilities were the space tourism industry.
right thing to do for the 3 countries.
However, spaceports for space tourism are already being
Like the spaceports in the USA and USSR developed planned at many locations around the world and a
during the space race, spaceports developed in Brazil, commercial spaceport is being built in the USA. These
China and India were for the operation of expendable spaceports are being planned to serve suborbital tourism,
launch vehicles, which were not economic and not meant which will begin very soon and prepared to serve orbital
to be commercial. tourism which will begin in a decade or more. In
Malaysia, such spaceport planning was reported in major
Another major spaceport developed before the era of newspapers as early as 1999.
space tourism which also operates expendable launch
vehicles is the spaceport at French Guiana now operated Early suborbital tourism spaceplanes will only perform
by European Space Agency. However, with the simple economic suborbital spaceflight from the
advancing technology, the expendable launch vehicles spaceports. The economic spaceflights will mostly be of
have become more efficient even though still not near-vertical flight to reach slightly above 80km from sea
economic. level.
A requirement for a spaceport for expendable launch The suborbital spaceplanes will take-off horizontally like
vehicles is that the spaceport needs to have a vast area for conventional airplane from the runway. The spaceplane
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th
This paper was prepared and completed on November 2010 to commemorate the 11 anniversary of the publication of the first serious article on
commercial spaceport and space tourism in a Malaysian newspaper, “KLIA as a Spaceport”. It was published as a full page article in The Sun on 15
November 1999 from an interview of the principal author by the newspaper.
may use jet engine or rocket engine for take-off. Then it enable existing conventional airports to function as
will fly near vertically to slightly above 80km from sea spaceports. The suitable airports to function as spaceports
level, as this altitude is considered as the lowest level of will be small airports with not many flights to handle or
space. The spaceplane later will reach its maximum major international airports with capability of handling
altitude where its passengers will experience zero-gravity many flights and the intention of providing suborbital
for less than 1 minute before it returns towards Earth due spaceflight as their new and extra services.
to gravity. The spaceplane may land horizontally under
jet power or unpowered on the runway like conventional These airports can use their existing facilities particularly
airplane or glider. their runways to support suborbital spaceflight. They
need only several extra facilities such as hangar to
However, for safety, the spaceplane should not be service the spaceplane, storage for rocket fuel, terminal
allowed to descend near vertically directly above the for space tourists and maybe special tower and radar to
spaceport. It will only be allowed to approach the monitor suborbital spaceflight.
spaceport with near horizontal flight.
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th
This paper was prepared and completed on November 2010 to commemorate the 11 anniversary of the publication of the first serious article on
commercial spaceport and space tourism in a Malaysian newspaper, “KLIA as a Spaceport”. It was published as a full page article in The Sun on 15
November 1999 from an interview of the principal author by the newspaper.
4
th
This paper was prepared and completed on November 2010 to commemorate the 11 anniversary of the publication of the first serious article on
commercial spaceport and space tourism in a Malaysian newspaper, “KLIA as a Spaceport”. It was published as a full page article in The Sun on 15
November 1999 from an interview of the principal author by the newspaper.
Modern small developing countries are developing For the time being, the developing countries can only
countries which have democratic political atmosphere, plan on the development of commercial suborbital
dynamic economy and relatively small geographical spaceports, because only suborbital spaceflights will be
territory. These countries have well established available in the near future, while orbital spaceflights will
information and communication infrastructures not only be available in a decade or more. However, this
restricted from international community and their citizens limitation is an advantage to the developing countries,
are well informed on the development of global because it enables lower cost spaceport projects, which
economy, politics and technology. will be more practical and desirable to the developing
countries. To start directly with orbital spaceflight is not
The governments of modern small developing countries practical at all to developing countries, which lack the
are dynamic governments, which have vision to necessary economy and technology. Orbital spaceflight
transform their countries into fully developed countries however may be included in the strategic or long term
and welcome all kind of positive modern development in planning of the spaceport.
economy, politics and technology. However those
developments must be within their limited economic Suborbital spaceflight is also enough for a modern small
capability, which is much smaller than that of the developing country to have its own significant
developed countries or countries with very big population commercial space program, since suborbital spaceflight
and local market. Malaysia and a few countries in South does reach space and offer zero-gravity. This country can
East Asia and other geographical regions are considered start its cost effective space program as soon as there is a
as modern small developing countries. suborbital spaceflight service at its spaceport.
Space travel has always catches the attention of the To encourage one, the country should promote and
government and people of modern small developing market its spaceport and give various incentives to
countries. The government and people of these countries potential suborbital spaceflight operators. One of the
are fully aware of the development in space travel in operators may be interested to operate its suborbital
developed countries and everywhere else in the world spaceplane from the spaceport.
through their well established unlimited information and
communication infrastructures. By having a commercial suborbital spaceport in
operation, a modern small developing country can have
Both the government and people of modern small various space activities, which can only be done at a
developing countries realize that they should have space developed country with a spaceport. These activities are
travel infrastructures, as they understand the significance also significant to the developing country to provide its
of these space travel infrastructures in the global citizens access to space, enable its government to execute
establishment and development of their economy, space missions and researches, provide opportunities to
politics, education and culture. However, they are also its universities and colleges to conduct courses and
fully aware of the economics of the space travel research in aerospace engineering, rocket science and
infrastructures. technology and space tourism, qualify its citizens as
astronauts, and promote various industries directly and
Therefore, politics and government agendas alone are not indirectly related to spaceflight.
the determining factors for the realization of spaceport in
modern small developing countries, but economy is the Without own suborbital spaceport, a developing country
more significant and influencing factor. has to spend too much to send its citizen to space and
conduct own space program. With own spaceport in
Spaceports for expendable launch vehicles like the operation and with suborbital spaceflight available at the
smaller version of Kennedy Space Center of Baikonur spaceport both the government and people can go to
Cosmodrome will not be practical or welcomed in these space with an acceptable budget.
countries, as they are not based on an economic or
commercial model. The spaceports suitable for these Access to space is important for a country, and
countries will be commercial spaceports. commercial spaceport is the access to space to modern
small developing counties. It is also the catalyst to all
The emergence of commercial space travel or space kind of commercial activities directly and indirectly
tourism has made possible the development of related to spaceflight. The economics of a commercial
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th
This paper was prepared and completed on November 2010 to commemorate the 11 anniversary of the publication of the first serious article on
commercial spaceport and space tourism in a Malaysian newspaper, “KLIA as a Spaceport”. It was published as a full page article in The Sun on 15
November 1999 from an interview of the principal author by the newspaper.
5. SPACE CITY
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th
This paper was prepared and completed on November 2010 to commemorate the 11 anniversary of the publication of the first serious article on
commercial spaceport and space tourism in a Malaysian newspaper, “KLIA as a Spaceport”. It was published as a full page article in The Sun on 15
November 1999 from an interview of the principal author by the newspaper.
7
th
This paper was prepared and completed on November 2010 to commemorate the 11 anniversary of the publication of the first serious article on
commercial spaceport and space tourism in a Malaysian newspaper, “KLIA as a Spaceport”. It was published as a full page article in The Sun on 15
November 1999 from an interview of the principal author by the newspaper.
8
th
This paper was prepared and completed on November 2010 to commemorate the 11 anniversary of the publication of the first serious article on
commercial spaceport and space tourism in a Malaysian newspaper, “KLIA as a Spaceport”. It was published as a full page article in The Sun on 15
November 1999 from an interview of the principal author by the newspaper.
9
th
This paper was prepared and completed on November 2010 to commemorate the 11 anniversary of the publication of the first serious article on
commercial spaceport and space tourism in a Malaysian newspaper, “KLIA as a Spaceport”. It was published as a full page article in The Sun on 15
November 1999 from an interview of the principal author by the newspaper.
6. REFERENCES
7. SOURCES OF ILLUSTRATIONS
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