Spaceflight Training Program Gets FAA Approval
JAXA astronaut Aki Hoshide takes a self-portrait during Expedition 32 in September 2012. NASA Head in the stars lately? Soon your body could join, but it will need some lessons first. Earlier this week, Waypoint 2 Space, a commercial spaceflight training company, received FAA safety approval for programs set to begin later this spring. The company joins a growing industry of programs and services for those hoping to catch a ride on private spaceships. Waypoint 2 Space's multi-level training program includes fundamentals, like being able to operate in confined spaces, wear a pressure suit, and adapt to microgravity; suborbital training, which "prepares the participant to take full advantage of the 5 to 7 minutes of weightlessness" during a spaceflight; and finally the eight-week orbital training, which will be available in 2015 and teaches students how to deal with the physical and psychological challenges of prolonged...