The idea of manned space flight as a tourist appeared in 1967, but since the cosmonaut’s specialty was still not well known and mastered even for professional pilots, space tourism was postponed until better times. And only by the end of the 20th century, when the tandem of commerce and space began to actively develop, and the launches into space became commonplace, did they return to this idea. And one of the people who implemented this idea was Dennis Anthony Tito.
How it all began
In 1984, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) decided to launch an ordinary American into Earth orbit. To this end, the competition “Teacher in Space” was organized. By the summer of 1985, two applicants had been selected: 37-year-old Christy MacAuliffe (core) and 34-year-old Barbara Morgan (understudy).
On January 28, 1986, the Challenger shuttle launched with MacAuliffe and the crew aboard. In the first minute of take-off, an external fuel tank exploded. As a result of an emergency, all astronauts died.
The fate of Barbara Morgan was happier: in 2007, she nevertheless traveled to space.
In 1990, a Japanese citizen visited outer space: journalist TBS Toyohiro Yakiyama. He stayed in space for seven days, performing the functions of an astronaut-researcher.
However, all these flights cannot be interpreted as tourism: they were paid for by respectable corporations, and the participants themselves were selected by competition. And only Tito Dennis, who laid out his $ 20 million in 2001 for the sake of pleasure 128 times flying around the planet aboard the International Space Station (ISS), can rightfully be considered the first civilian space tourist.
Dennis Tito Biography
Tito Dennis, whose biography became known in 2001 to the whole world, was born on August 8, 1940 in one of the New York areas in the family of Italian immigrants. His parents were poor: his father worked in a printing house, and his mother worked as a seamstress, which did not bring serious income to the family budget.
Dennis learned a good lesson from his childhood: only having a goal and hard work to achieve it can bring what you want. Such a desire for a young man was a flight into space. With this in mind, Dennis Tito enters the College of Engineering, which was located at New York University, in 1962.
Upon graduation from the university in 1964, he receives a master's degree in engineering technology. In 1970, he decided to continue his studies at Andersen University (University of California, Los Angeles).
In 1972, Tito created Wilshere Associates Inc in California, which he still manages.
He was married, but currently lives alone, in the house where his family once lived - his wife and three children.
Interesting facts from the life of Tito
Tito Dennis, whose interesting facts from life can be excellent examples for young people, what and how can an ordinary person achieve, with a goal in front of him, in 1963, while continuing his studies, he already worked as a NASA aerospace engineer. He took part in the implementation of flights of interplanetary spacecraft Mariner, engaged in calculating the trajectories of their flights to Mars and Venus.
Received a good education contributed to the success of his company. Dennis created the Wilshere 5000 Consolidated Market Index, which now occupies a leading position in the securities market. As a result, the company is among the leading service providers in the field of management, consulting and investment technology.
Despite the change of profession in 1972, Tito remained faithful to his dream of flying into space.And now, being already a multimillionaire, he still could not fulfill his desire. The reason for this was NASA's policy: civilians were not allowed into American spaceships under any circumstances.
Tito's unexpected help came from the eternal rival of the United States in space - Russia: he was invited to visit the Soviet Mir station. However, the expired period of its operation became the reason for the closure of this project. Nevertheless, the Russian company Energia and the space agency suggested Dennis Tito to visit the ISS with the Taxi mission.
The United States, Japan, Canada and the European Space Agency opposed this flight, explaining that Tito Dennis would complicate the work of the ISS crew with their presence, which could pose a threat to its safety. The American media also negatively evaluated Tito’s space travel plans. But Rosaviakosmos nevertheless went to meet the American citizen, giving him the Russian part of the station. The preparation of a space tourist for a journey into the Earth’s orbit has begun.
Preparation for the "ascent" to the ISS
After all the necessary documents were signed by both sides of the project, preparation for the flight began. It lasted a little over a month. The training included training and practice in space. About how the training took place, later Tito Dennis himself will tell. Interesting facts from his memoirs may prove useful to future space tourists.
He had to train in adapting to overloads and weightlessness, in conducting rescue operations, and also to learn the features of life on the ISS. Soon, Tito took only 25 seconds to put on a spacesuit. All disciplinary disciplines surrendered perfectly, because the space tourist is something different than what is associated with this word on Earth. Much depends on its preparation.
On the eve of the launch, the first tradition was laid down for all future space tourists: through a straw that pierced a slice of an orange, a glass with 5 mm brandy poured “emptied”.
"I visited paradise"
The Russian spacecraft Soyuz TM-32, on which were Tito and astronauts Yuri Baturin, Talgat Musabaev, docked to the ISS on April 30, 2001. Those six days spent on board the station, Dennis recalls as a “terrific sensation”, although at first he was a little dull.
The first feeling that Tito Dennis experienced when looking at the Earth from space (the photo is the best confirmation) was awe.
As befits a tourist, while traveling into orbit, Dennis grabbed a camera with 30 films, a video camera and a voice recorder. Naturally, Tito collected a lot of photo and video material.
Tito compared the general impression of a trip to Earth’s orbit with a visit to paradise.
"I traveled to heaven and soared like an angel, looking down at the Earth," Tito said after landing.
Tourism in space is inevitable
Space tourist Tito Denis by his example aroused an unprecedented interest in the United States in a new direction in the tourism industry.
Virgin Galactic already has 450 people who want to visit space as tourists, and Blue Origin announced its intention in 2018 to organize suborbital trips for individuals.
Tourism masters the cosmos completely and irrevocably.
