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When you ask people to tell you about their idea of a perfect holiday, the majority of them will picture themselves relaxing on a beach of white sand, clear turquoise sea lapping at their feet and the sun sitting in a cloudless sky
However a few people dream of holidaying in space.
This dream is close to becoming a reality thanks to Virgin Galactic; owned by Richard Branson who has teamed up with Burt Rutan. The team at VG are designing space shuttles that are incredibly safe to fly in and will accommodate people on an affordable trip of a lifetime. These designs haven’t been finalised yet but the team are hoping that tests will be starting in 2007. They have also created a three day training program that you have to complete before you fly, to get your body and mind prepared for the incredible experience awaiting you.
It’s not only Virgin who are tapping into this unmarked territory, Travelex has teamed up with the National Space Centre and they have created a space currency called QUID. QUID is short for Quasi Universal Intergalactic Denomination and it has been specially designed for use in space as, according to some professors, the coins we use on Earth could be a risk to the astronauts because of their sharp edges, the magnetic strips on credit cards will be destroyed by cosmic radiation and the chip and pin system we use won’t work because you’ll be 230,000 miles away from Earth.
QUIDs will take the form of a disk and they will be made from the same material that coats non-stick pans. They will be decorated with the planets from our solar system and each one will have a unique code printed on it so there will be less chance of counterfeits. Travelex and the NSC are so serious about this denomination that they are planning on joining forces with the Bank of England so that QUIDs can be registered as legal tender.
I for one am excited about the future of space travel although I do get travel sickness, but I’m sure Boots will come up with a tablet or a wristband that I can wear whilst I travel into outer space.
Imagine how fabulous will it be to take a dip in the antigravity swimming pool? From the movies I’ve seen I’m imagining it as a room where the water is floating around in globs, you jump in and float around but never get completely wet! What I’m also looking forward to though is waking up in the morning, pulling back the curtains (decorated in stars of course) and looking out at the Earth, partially covered with the shadow of the moon and the rest glowing in hues of blue and green.
I truly think that this experience would be a dream come true, not just for the Star Trek and Star Wars fans but for every person who as a child wore a cardboard box as a space helmet and stared into the dark night sky and dreamt of riding a shooting star.