- Our vision is to make the space available for ordinary people, says Karin Nilsdotter, CEO at Spaceport Sweden. BarentsOberver meets her at Esrange Space Centre near Kiruna, a centre that for decades has been launching research rockets.
Karin Nilsdotter is developing commercial space tourism from northern Sweden.
Photo: Thomas Nilsen
- Space tourism is no longer a dream, but a new adventure being developed here and now, says Karin Nilsdotter. Spaceport Sweden is cooperating with Virgin Galactic and the idea is to use Kiruna airport as the base to bring the first commercial tourist spacecrafts out to sub orbit.
So far, only around 500 people have been to space since Yuri Gagarin became the first in 1961.
Nilsdotter will not settle a date for the first space-tour from Kiruna, but says the first space tourist tours will take place from the desert in New Mexico before tours are arranged with departure from Kiruna.
Arctic adventure
- Space tourism is not only about getting the weightlessness and seeing the earth from space. Here in Kiruna we can offer a comprehensive and exclusive adventure. We are in the Arctic, with midnight sun in the summer and polar night during winter, huge wilderness areas and possibilities to stay at the icehotel in Jukkasjärvi, explains Karin Nilsdotter.
Although the date of the first space flight is not yet set, you can already now sign up for a ticket.
If you can’t wait, a near space tourist experience starts already this winter when Spaceport Sweden launches the first flight that will allow tourists to get a look at the northern lights. The premier flight takes off from Kiruna airport on the 15th of January 2012. A nine-seat airplane will take the tourists above the clouds for approximately one hour.
Overclouded? No problem
Every winter, thousands of tourists from all over the world are traveling to the Barents Region to experience the mythical northern lights. The challenge for many is that you can’t see anything from ground if it is overclouded. That can be disappointing if you have traveled all the way from Japan.
- Our northern light flights offer our customers an exclusive experience to get closer to and view this natural space phenomenon from a front row seat, says Karin Nilsdotter. Also the northern lights tourists will get a full package of Arctic experience including nights at the icehotel in Jukkasjärvi.
This winter, between now and February 2012, solar activity is at the peak of its 11-year cycle, meaning that it is a perfect season for spectacular northern lights sights in the Barents Region.
Space tourism, spectacular northern light, ice hotel and Arctic exploring by dog sledge are some of the productrs in the packages offered by Spaceport Sweden.
- This is just the beginning says an enthusiastic Nilsdotter. In the longer run spacecraft tourists might get a chance to stay overnight at a space hotel, like today’s space stations, or other space related activities.
- We call it creative space. A wide-range of on ground, in air and in space activities can be developed from the Kiruna region in the future, says Nilsdotter.
Combined report: Thomas Nilsen, Trude Pettersen and Jonas Karlsbakk
