To infinity and beyond........ or maybe just to Mars.

A recent airline publication's cover reads "The New Space Economy is Getting Real." Without any research I think this has something to do with Richard Branson opening his spaceport just days ago in New Mexico. This has been the next step since Burt Rutan made the first private space flight in 2004.

     For years space travel has been limited to government agencies such as NASA and equivalents from other countries. However Burt Rutan opened the doors when he designed and built Spaceship One. With NASA's aging shuttle fleet, recent accident of shuttle Columbia as well as the current economy they were forced to cancel all future shuttle missions. For the time being they will rely on Russia's space program for all future trips to the international space station. When NASA cancelled there shuttle program they invested that money in private companies to develop their own shuttles. The hope is to use private shuttles for trips to and from the international space station in 5-7 years. For more on this and the reaction of Rick Mastracchio visit this Link: http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/space/2011-04-28-shuttle-future_n.htm

     So what will space travel look like for the next 25 years. It appears it will be the new “IT” tourist destination according to the hopes of billionaire Richard Branson. He recently opened his new spaceport in the New Mexico desert. For more on the space port you can check out the website http://www.virgingalactic.com/ Branson is hoping people will be willing to cough up $200,000 for a 5 hour trip into space and experiencing 5 minutes of weightlessness. Though he is the first it seems he is not the only one with these plans. It seems there are a few others working on building their own gateway to space.

     With all of this privatized space flight you might be asking yourself where does this leave NASA? Well NASA seems to feel they have conquered low orbit space flight. They are looking beyond Earth’s orbit. There are plans in the works for a deep space flight to an asteroid and eventually Mars. NASA’s website http://www.nasa.gov/about/whats_next.html is quite informative with some of their plans as well as the rocket they plan to use in getting there.

     It seems the purpose of space exploration is still the same as when it started not so long ago. Exploration and seeking a better understanding of the universe we live in. I feel it’s good that we as a human race have such a thirst for knowledge and understanding. It has led to so many great discoveries and inventions in the past. Is this not how man learned to fly?

     So what does all this mean to us aviation graduates, Pilots and managers alike? It could mean more job opportunities. Pilots may eventually be able to get another rating maybe it will be labeled “low orbital space flight”. I think this will open up many new door ways for aviation managers. I think many aspects of the industries will be very similar and those that know aviation will be able to move seamlessly into space flight management. No matter what happens it's a very exciting time to be alive and experience all of this technological growth.