In the month of July, we witnessed a milestone in space exploration with the debut of the first two commercial flights to the edge of space. One featured Sir Richard Branson aboard the Unity 22 spaceplane from Virgin Galactic, while the other had Jeff Bezos on the New Shepard rocket from Blue Origin. These spacecraft were funded by the billionaires themselves (the FAA doesn’t technically recognize them as astronauts), and their ultimate goal is to lay the groundwork for space tourism.
While tickets for space travel on certain spacecraft are currently only within reach for the wealthiest aspiring space adventurers, it appears that there is a space company aiming to send celebrities on a journey to the outer limits of space. Kevin Hart revealed that he was approached by a company and tempted with a financial incentive to embark on a space flight with them.
)
In a recent episode of his Sirius XM show, “Straight from the Hart,” comedian Kevin Hart shared an interesting tidbit without naming names or specific details. He mentioned that a company approached him with an offer for a 60- to 90-minute trip, which he would have prepared for with 30 to 45 days of training. This timeframe rules out Blue Origin, known for their 11-minute suborbital flights that require only a couple of days of training due to the autonomous nature of their New Shepard spacecraft.
Hart revealed that the company’s initial plan was to capture the celebrity experience of space travel. However, he ultimately dismissed the idea due to the high risks associated with space travel at the present time. He expressed his concerns by questioning the success rate of space shuttles that have completed their missions versus those that have not. Hart emphasized that the numbers were too evenly split for his comfort, making the decision clear for him.
Ashton Kutcher canceled his planned flight for the same reason – he prioritizes his family and believes space travel is not a practical choice. Similarly, Hart shares that he will think about it again when he is older and has experienced more of life. (Source: autoevolution.com)
