Scandinavian Connection To Space (SCTS) has recently been established in Sweden to promote the realisation of space tourism. Like a number of other companies, SCTS will act as an agent for space tourism-related services as they become available, while also working to raise finance to help it to happen. The principal, Paul Eklund, says to keep an eye on their web-site for announcements in the near future.

Both Aviation Week magazine (July 22, p 53) and Space News (July 22, p4) report that the Russian Aviation and Space Agency has announced its intention to fly Lance Bass on board the late October "Taxi flight" to the space station. The July 12 announcement leaves less than six months until his flight, which does not keep the letter of the Russians’ agreement with their international partners in the space station project. However, the other countries are said to be okay with this, since they recognise the financial benefit that the Russian space agency gets from its paying customers.

To commemorate the first anniversary of the historic first space tourist flight by Dennis Tito, the Space Tourism Society held its first annual awards presentation ceremony on April 27 at the Santa Monica Community College Concert Theatre, Santa Monica. Featuring a speech and video presentation by Dennis Tito, and speeches by other leading figures in the growing field of space tourism, the evening included the presentation of the 2002 Space Tourism Pioneer "ORBIT" Awards to (in alphabetical order) David Ashford, Bob Citron, Patrick Collins, Peter Diamandis, William Gaubatz, David Gump, Jason Klassi, Chuck Lauer, Tom Rogers (lifetime award) and John Spencer.

A new Russian spaceplane for sub-orbital space tourism

On February 21, the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) will give their much-sought-after award for 'Americanism' to Dennis Tito, the first person in history to pay his own way to space. In doing this the BSA are reminding Americans of who they are, of what it was about Americans that made the USA the richest country in the world. At their best they are pioneering, entrepreneurial, individual, visionary. The BSA's full citation can be found on the Wilshire company's web-site.

By Alan Breakstone

By Alan Breakstone

Maxwell Hunter, one of the America's most experienced rocket designers, died on November 10 at the age of 79, joining the sadly long list of people who should have been able to visit space for themselves.

The Presidential Commission on the Future of the US Aerospace Industry was established by President Bush to make recommendations to solve a range of problems facing the industry. These problems, from overspending to failed projects, have arose partly from its decline since the end of the cold war and partly from stagnation at Nasa.

Mojave, October 3, 2001