Singapore spaceport - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Space Adventures

Space Adventures, Ltd. is a Virginia, USA-based space tourism company founded in 1998 by Eric C. Anderson. , offerings include zero-gravity atmospheric flights, orbital spaceflights , and other spaceflight-related experiences including cosmonaut training, spacewalk training, and launch tours...

has proposed a USD$115 million spaceport

Spaceport

A spaceport or cosmodrome is a site for launching spacecraft, by analogy with seaport for ships or airport for aircraft. The word spaceport, and even more so cosmodrome, has traditionally been used for sites capable of launching spacecraft into orbit around Earth or on interplanetary trajectories...

to be located in Singapore

Singapore

Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...

, near Singapore Changi Airport

Singapore Changi Airport

Singapore Changi Airport , Changi International Airport, or simply Changi Airport, is the main airport in Singapore. A major aviation hub in Southeast Asia, it is about north-east from the commercial centre in Changi, on a site....

. If built, this spaceport will service the Space Adventures Explorer suborbital tourist rocketplane and provide astronaut training facilities and a public education and interactive visitor centre.

, no site has been selected and the project appears to be on hold.

Site selection

Sites in Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

, the Bahamas

The Bahamas

The Bahamas , officially the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, is a nation consisting of 29 islands, 661 cays, and 2,387 islets . It is located in the Atlantic Ocean north of Cuba and Hispaniola , northwest of the Turks and Caicos Islands, and southeast of the United States...

, Florida

Florida

Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...

, Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

, Malaysia, Nevada

Nevada

Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...

, New Mexico

New Mexico

New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...

, Oklahoma

Oklahoma

Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...

, Singapore

Singapore

and Dubai

Dubai

Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...

in the United Arab Emirates

United Arab Emirates

The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...

were considered. After a year-long selection process, the sites in Singapore and Dubai were chosen. One key difference between the two proposed spaceports is that while the Dubai spaceport will be mainly a launchpad for sub-orbital space flights, the Singapore spaceport will have many more facilities.

Planned facilities

The planned attractions in the Singapore Spaceport are far more numerous. They include:

Sub-orbital Space Flights that will blast passengers out of Earth's atmosphere to an altitude of 100 km so they can enjoy about five minutes of weightlessness. An entire flight will take about 90 minutes. There will be a four-day training programme before the flight. The entire experience is estimated to cost US$102,000.
Parabolic Flights. These flights at an estimated US$10,000 produce the experience of weightlessness in an aircraft without going into space.
Flights in the Aero L-39 Albatros, a high-performance jet trainer aircraft.
A four-day space camp for children
For adults, a full-day astronaut experience that will include a spin in a centrifuge to simulate a high-gravity environment, astronaut meals and a stint in a hypobaric (low-pressure) chamber to simulate performing repairs on damaged spacecraft in orbit.
An authentic VIP astronaut training facility for the public that will provide many of the training elements used by professional astronauts. These include simulated spacewalks in neutral buoyancy tanks on the ground. Courses will be taught by actual astronauts and other space, flight, and training experts.
An Interactive Visitor Centre, where the public can enjoy flight simulators and interactive exhibit experiences, or learn about the history and technology of space travel.

The entire complex will be spread over 17,000 m² of floor area on a 1.8 ha site. It is expected to generate about $3 billion in economic benefits over 10 years. It hopes to attract more than half-a-million visitors a year from the region within two-and-a-half years of opening.

The estimated minimum cost of US$115 million will be partially funded by the private sector, undisclosed Singapore sources, as well Space Adventures’ global spaceport development partner, His Highness Sheikh Saud Bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Crown Prince of Ras Al-Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates.

The consortium supporting Spaceport Singapore includes Octtane Pte, Batey Pte Ltd., Lyon Capital Inc., DP Architects

DP Architects

DP Architects Pte Ltd is one of the largest architectural practices in Singapore.-Corporate Profile:DP Architects started as Design Partnership in 1967, incorporated as a private limited company in 1993, and evolved to the present as the heart of the DP group of companies – a multi-disciplinary...

, ST Medical and KPMG

KPMG

KPMG is one of the largest professional services networks in the world and one of the Big Four auditors, along with Deloitte, Ernst & Young and PwC. Its global headquarters is located in Amstelveen, Netherlands....

Corporate Finance.

Quotes

"Singapore is one of the best-connected countries in the world. It is home to one of the world’s busiest air and sea ports. Singapore, with its superior geographical and economic infrastructure, is primed to be the hub of a new, revolutionary form of travel – in space." -Eric Anderson, President and CEO of Space Adventures
"Countries around the world are only just realizing the enormous commercial possibilities of space tourism. The market potential for suborbital spaceflights alone is estimated at $1 billion (USD) annually. We are excited at the prospect of launching an integrated facility here in Singapore that will give the world a whole new perspective to space tourism" -Eric Anderson
"Space Adventures and the consortium have given Singapore a big vote of confidence as a choice tourism investment location. Pending the finalization of funds that are expected in the near future, we are optimistic that Spaceport Singapore will quickly become a reality. With the proposed Spaceport Singapore, we now stand at the threshold of an unprecedented opportunity to launch into space practically from our own backyard. In addition, the Spaceport's integrated training, educational and entertainment facilities will open up many exciting experiences for both locals and tourists." -Lim Neo Chian, deputy chairman and Chief Executive of the STB
"This world-class center will provide a mix of commercial, educational and tourist attractions, giving everyone a reason to visit. We identified Singapore as an ideal location for a spaceport as it has the right combination of foresight, entrepreneurialism and technological sophistication to support a project such as this" -Michael Lyon, Managing Director of the Spaceport Singapore Project
"The commercial possibilities of space tourism are enormous. We are tremendously excited about working with Singapore on this innovative project that will bring space tourism to the public" -Nick Marrett, founder of Octtane Pte, a member of the consortium

External links

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Site selection

Planned facilities

Quotes

See also

External links