San Diego State University’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1913

The Daily Aztec

San Diego State University’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1913

The Daily Aztec




San Diego State University’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1913

The Daily Aztec

2008 Space Odyssey

if you’ve ever wanted to go to the moon, you’re now one step closer.

Thanks to Sir Richard Branson, Buzz Lightyear can finally go to infinity and beyond. So can you, if you happen to have a couple hundred thousand dollars in spare change.

Virgin, Branson’s multimillion-dollar empire, recently launched its new endeavor, a “spaceline” aptly named Virgin Galactic. Instead of flying around the globe, Virgin galactic takes civilians outside of the atmospheric limits to experience the breathtaking landscape of space.

I am by no means a rocket scientist, so I’m not going to pretend that I know all of the intimate details about the inner workings of the aircraft or the flight itself. But here are a few solid factoids to allow you to get a general idea.

The weekly flight would consist of six passengers – “astronauts,” in the loosest form of the word – and two pilots. Launching out of the Mojave Desert, the spaceline would burst through the atmosphere, only to return shortly after. This adds up to a flight that averages around two and a half hours.

The price tag for this epic journey totals $200,000 – that’s an expensive bragging right. Now I feel bad for complaining about Southwest ripping me off when I have to pay triple digits.

Maybe it’s worth the money to be able to close your eyes and pretend that you are Judy from the Jetsons. Not only would you be weightless, you would also have a sassy robot to get you whatever you wanted.

There may not be a Rosie on the flight, but Virgin Galactic is still equally technologically advanced.

Virgin Galactic is considered to be more environmentally safe than government-run space programs, using a fuel system that burns more efficiently on the initial take off. We are already a culture obsessed with environmental issues and gas prices, so I can see where this is going. If this is a glimpse of the future, we are going to have to deal with the Intergalactic West Side Story war between the hybrid spacecrafts of the independent spacelines versus the blinged out and supped up Hummercrafts of NASA.

The good news about Virgin Galactic is that there aren’t years of strict training and medical examinations like those NASA showoffs. The flight only requires three days of training, including a light medical exam. They like to call it “bonding.”

The training really sounds more like a day at Magic Mountain than a test of physical capabilities. The rides include g-force training in a centrifuge and zero-g training on a parabolic flight. So basically they just fling you around until you barf and then make you float by blasting you with air. Where do I sign?

Although space travel would be the ultimate travel and adventure destination, it seems like it is reserved for the most elite of world. As for me, I’m already starting to save up for the trip. So far, my piggy bank is almost ready to make its launch to Coinstar.

-Melissa Johnson is an advertising senior.

-This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Daily Aztec.

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San Diego State University’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1913
2008 Space Odyssey