Mission control to Manchester: British 'rocket man' launches mission to become first private firm to put tourists into space

Out of this world: Astronaut Matt Shrewbridge stands inside a rocket pod being tested next month


And next year they plan a manned launch test, firing the already-built 70ft 'Starchaser 4 off the ground in Morecambe Bay, Lancashire.

A team of British rocketeers plan to open the door to the stars by becoming the first private firm to put tourists in space.

Starchaser boss Steve Bennett and astronaut Matt Shrewbridge hope to loft the first paying passengers into the cosmos by 2015.

But before they can do that the Manchester-based firm, must carry out a series of trials.

The first ‘milestone’ in November will be testing their 20ft Launch Escape System (LES) – a rescue pod that separates from the rocket if the spacecraft fails.

If successful it will be the biggest rocket ever launched in Britain.
During both test flights - kept within the Earth's orbit - the LES will be controlled from the ground.

In future - during space flights - a Starchaser pilot will activate the LES, saving the three-to-five passengers on board.

Once Starchaser is fully operational passenger-rockets will take off from Spaceport America near the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.

Starchaser owns 20 acres and buildings at the site, which will eventually become mission control for the amazing operation.

Two unnamed tourists have already paid £250,000 each for the first seats and other places are available at £98,000 (plus taxes).

Tourists will be treated to a 23-minute sub-orbital flight 62 miles up, and will officially enter space.


Colossal: The 70ft Starchaser 4 rocket has already been built at the company's headquarters in Manchester


Proud: Starchaser boss Steve Bennett, who gave up his university job 14 years ago, with Matt and his rocket


Although, Russia's space agency has taken paying tourists into space, it would be the first private firm to do so.

Mr Bennett, who runs the project from Starchaser's Manchester headquarters, explained: ‘A sub-orbital spaceflight is when the spacecraft reaches space, but does not enter into an orbit around the earth.

‘It's a straight up and straight down flight following a large arc - like a a giant roller coaster ride without the wheels and tracks.

‘Our customers will get to fly in a real rocket, wearing a real spacesuit and will undertake an authentic space mission just like the early Astronauts did in the 1960s.

‘They will see the blackness of outer space, the curvature of the earth and they will feel weightless for a few minutes.’

Former lab worker and university lecturer Steve left his day job 14 years ago to realise his dream of making it into space.

He added: ‘My goal is to open the space frontier for everyone, to make access to space easy and inexpensive.

‘It's going to be like dot com all over again but instead of creating billionaires the space revolution will create the world's first trillionaires.

‘Space is only 62 miles away after all. If you can reach space, you're halfway to anywhere, like the Moon or Mars.


Mission control to Manchester: Matt tests out the systems in the Launch Escape System pod


Power: The Starchaser 4 rocket will be test launched next year in Morecambe Bay, Lancashire


‘One day someone is going to Mars and will be the first person to land on that planet. To me it would be the greatest thing if he or she went there on a Starchaser rocket or was inspired in the first place because our outreach team visited their school when they were younger.’

The biggest problem Mr Bennett faces is funding. He is currently £20,000 short of having enough for the 20ft LES rocket test flight.

After raising another £200,000 - which is expected to be next year - they will have the means to test fly the LES craft combined with Starchaser 4.

Over the past eight years Steve and the team have raised an incredible £4million thorough commercial projects.

A huge contributor to their funding is the company's educational space outreach programme SPACE4SCHOOLS.

Steve and the team are paid to visit schools around the UK and teach pupils about rockets and space travel.


source: dailymail