Russia’s Energia plans to take First Tourist on Space Walk in 2023

On 25^th June 2020, Russian Company- S.P. Korolev Rocket and Space Corporation Energia (also known as RSC Energia) has announced that it will take the first tourist for a spacewalk in 2023. The announcement came after RSC Energia has signed a deal with Space Adventures (space tourism company in the United States). RSC Energia is a part of the Roscosmos (Russia’s space agency).

As per the deal, two tourists will be sent to the International Space Station (ISS) in the year 2023 under the joint agreement of both the companies. From the end of RSC Energia, one of the two tourists will be able to do a spacewalk together with a cosmonaut from Roscosmos.

Between 2001 to 2009, Space Adventures along with the Russian Space Agency has taken eight tourists to the ISS. In 2001, Dennis Tito (a businessman from the United States) became the World’s First Private Space Explorer (first paying space tourist in the world). Since 2009, no other space tourist program has been conducted in the world. None of the space tourists to date have done a spacewalk.

Background

The announcement came a month after SpaceX (the United States-based space transportation services and aerospace manufacturer company) broke the monopoly of the Russian space agency. Until 30^th May 2020, only Russian Space Agency Roscosmos had the technology to successfully able to carry Humans to space. All Human Space Flight missions until 30^th May 2020 were conducted with the help of Russian crew spacecraft Soyuz. On 30^th May 2020, Falcon 9 rocket of SpaceX successfully carried two astronauts of NASA to the ISS.

SpaceX in February 2020 has also signed an agreement with Space Adventures. Under the agreement, both the companies have planned to carry a space tourism trip next year. The number of space tourists for the trip will be 3. Spacewalk for the tourists under this trip is not a part of the agreement yet.

Month: Current Affairs - June, 2020