Out of This World

How does one decide to visit space? Well for starters, if you're software guru Charles Simonyi, it helps to have $25 million to burn. But until recently, no private citizen even had such an option. Rare people with the "right stuff" could dedicate their lives to becoming astronauts and cosmonauts and compete for the crew assignments, but the decision of who would fly always rested with the respective space organizations. Then along came Eric Anderson, a young aerospace engineer who cofounded Space Adventures, making it possible for nonastronauts to buy "taxi" seats aboard Russian spacecraft and travel to the International Space Station. Simonyi is one such nonastronaut. What is it like for a layman to go into space? What sort of training does one have to go through? And is it really worth 25 big ones? Simonyi, who wrote this week's Turning Points column was on hand to answer your questions about his experience with space tourism on Thursday, Dec. 6.

Wilton, CT: Do you think that you'll ever visit Mars or any other planet? Would you want to?

Charles Simonyi: One never knows what may happen in the next 50 years. Visiting asteroids might be actually simpler. But a lot would have to change - better energy sources, artificial gravity (for example by spinning), radiation shielding. It will be a very difficult undertaking for any person, let alone a senior civilian.

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Memphis, Tenn.: Did you barf during your flight?

Charles Simonyi: I was lucky in that I did not get space sick, possibly because of the Russian training in the vestibular chair and with other exercises and because I wore tourniquets on my legs. I did not take anti-seasickness drugs, either. My crewmates did not get sick either, which helped a lot, too.

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Brooklyn, NY: What did you think of the Russian space equipment? Did it seem outdated and obsolete or new and technologically advanced?

Thank you.

Charles Simonyi: The equipment is "outdated", but exudes robustness and reliability in the sense an old Cessna airplane would. It would be rated "best buy" in a survey, I am sure.

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Anonymous: Since the launch of Space Adventures, do you think space travel will become more common to nonastronauts in the future? Will everyone eventually have the opportunity to buy a ride in space?

Charles Simonyi: No doubt it will be more common, especially for suborbital flights (15 minute hops) that require less than 5% of the energy of an orbital flight. If you look ahead 100 years, I am sure it will be as common as air travel is today.

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Brooklyn, NY: Just how rigid were the physical requirements for going into space and how did you train?

Charles Simonyi: I think it was more mental than physical - one had to be pretty healthy of course so that there would be no chance of my becoming a burden to the mission. I trained with regular exercise: weights, situps, and a lot of swimming. Most of all, they wanted to avoid exercise related injuries.

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New York, NY: Has your trip into "outer space" changed your opinions about our world in anyway, including thoughts about preserving our planet's environment?

Charles Simonyi: I do not think one has to go to space to appreciate the beauty of our world and the need to keep it clean. But, when one sees that vast blue suface, as big as the sky is from the ground, it is truly breathtaking.

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Brooklyn, NY: Could you please talk a little about your interactions with the Russian space crew?

Charles Simonyi: I enjoyed very much learning about Russia, learning enough Russian to appreciate its depth and beauty and making friends with Russians - the crewmates, of course, but also the instructors, and engineers. My crewmates Oleg and Fyodor just came back because they stayed for 6 months, and we are planneing a reunion. They speak excellent English but like to use Russian too, especially for emphasis.

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