Space tourists who first take to space will have to take on a lot of risk
Suborbital flights, in contrast to SpaceX’s latest orbital mission, are short spaceflight that does not complete an entire orbit around the Earth. This means that you take your spacecraft at the outer edge of space and then return to the Earth. Virgin Galactic has been inching closer to commercial suborbital launch operators’ status after the success of piloted tests by crews in February of 2019. In actual fact, Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo AirShipTwo, an air-launched Suborbital rocket, as well as Blue Origin’s New Shepard, a rocket-launched spacecraft are expected to start suborbital flights for scientists and space travelers in the coming year. Each flight in suborbital space offers the most unique experience of space flight, along with a unique flight path and set of regulations specifications.
As industry continues to experiment with and refine technology and operations while technology and operations are being tested, the Federal Aviation Administration – which regulates the launch, reentry and spaceports to facilitate U.S. commercial spaceflight – is changing to meet the demands of the new private space business.
What you should know prior to flying into space
In a suborbital flight, passengers and crew members are treated to a quick parabolic flight, which takes them to the point of no return and return to Earth. The Conversation, CC BY-SA
Spaceflight is thought of as an activity that is inherently risky. While certain risks of spaceflight and the surrounding space, including radiation, G-forces, and vibration, as well as microgravity, are well-documented, many hazards remain unexplored. The range of physical risks extends from both in-flight and post-flight activities and operations.
FAA rules also concentrate on the safety and security of people on the ground, but not the passengers of civilians who are referred to as astronauts. This includes everyone who is not a crew or NASA astronaut on the spacecraft.
In the end, regulations establish minimum requirements in regards to medical fitness and space tourism training in addition to informed consent and waivers of responsibility to protect operators of launch vehicles.
Therefore, potential space users take a huge risk.
Medical requirements
There is no standard medical requirement to screen or select astronauts to space. In contrast to flight crews, which require the Class two airman’s health certification and a similar requirements for being fit of space travelers. If the law is not clear or insufficient or not clear, it is the FAA’s Recommended Guidelines to ensure the Safety of Human Space Flight Occupant Safety will provide general guidelines.
The FAA advises that spaceflight passengers have a medical consult within 12 months after the flight by a doctor who is trained or experienced in aerospace medical procedures. As this isn’t legally binding requirement, it will be the responsibility of the operator of the launch to decide the fitness-to-fly criteria as well as “no-go” criteria for preexisting health conditions.
Virgin Galactic, for example, has a few limitations: no upper age limitation, and weight limit is only when it comes to practical requirements for space vehicles.
In terms of radiation risks in the form of radiation, FAA is trying to limit radiation exposure to personnel on the team. However, it doesn’t consider the radiation risk of a space-traveler taking one suborbital thrill ride as minimal.
Training
Like how airlines give safety guidelines prior to flights and launch operators must instruct visitors to space in how to react to situations of emergency such as fire, smoke and loss of cabin pressure, and evacuation procedures in case of emergency.
It is a minimum obligation, and each launch operator decides on its own program of training. Virgin Galactic, for instance, offers three days of training. three-day program that focuses on the participant’s equipment, communications and functions, as well as the spacecraft cabin.
Crew members of flight is, on the other hand they must be educated and competent to carry out their essential duties, and to withstand the rigors of spaceflight. Spaceflights that are long or orbital, however, are likely to require more rigorous commercial industry training guidelines than suborbital flights.