Will Implement Conditioning Regime For Tourinauts
At a conference held earlier this month at the Andrews Institute
in Gulf Breeze, FL, Lt. Governor Jeff Kottkamp, Space Florida
President Steve Kohler and Dr. Joe Story, president of The
Andrews-Paulos Research & Education Institute, announced the
formation of a Personal Spaceflight Medical Program, among the
first of its kind for commercial space tourists.
This specialized program will implement a tailored
biomechanical, physiological and psychological conditioning regimen
for those considering commercial human space flight. The program
would be one of the world's first formal civilian space flight
research and training programs.
As commercial applications for space become more developed,
there is a growing national and international interest in space
tourism. It is anticipated that, as the space tourism market grows,
Florida will play a key role. Florida already has a significant
advantage when it comes to both the tourism industry and space
exploration. It is probable that the Andrews Institute partnership
with Space Florida would become a best practice for other states to
model their commercial human space programs around.
"Space tourism is not a venture to be taken likely, as human
lives are involved," said Steve Kohler, Space Florida President.
"The partnership between Andrews and Space Florida will ensure that
participants have the safest, first-class experience possible --
before, during and after their safe flight from Florida."
"We believe this type of partnership gives Florida an advantage
in the space tourism arena," noted Florida Lt. Governor Jeff
Kottkamp. "Florida has more than 50 years of experience in safe
human spaceflight and an even greater legacy in creating an optimum
tourism experience for visitors. No other state can boast this
combined capability. The partnership between Space Florida and
Andrews will only strengthen that natural advantage."
"The Andrews Institute has a long-standing reputation as one of
the finest human performance medical facilities in the nation,"
noted Dr. Joe Story, president of The Andrews-Paulos Research &
Education Institute at the Andrews Institute. "I can't imagine a
better partnership than the one between Space Florida and Andrews
to ensure that space tourists departing from Florida are properly
conditioned and prepared for the elements of zero-gravity."
Early in the human space program, Mercury astronauts trained at
Pensacola's Naval Air Station (NAS). Today, NASA utilizes Pensacola
NAS's Training Squadron (VT) 4 and its T-34C Turbo-Mentor trainers
for primary astronaut orientation flight training.
Space Florida and Enterprise Florida combined resources to fund
a formal study in Summer 2008, conducted by the Haas Center for
Business Research and Economic Development, University of West
Florida. The study estimates that during the first full year of
operation, the Personal Spaceflight Medical Program will train
nearly 300 space flight candidates, with strong increasing demand
thereafter.
The study estimated that by 2021, more than 13,000 tourists per
year will be taking sub-orbital flights... and those passengers
will post unique medical challenges.