Space Adventures Teams With Ansaris, Plans Two Spaceports

Space Adventures said last week it has entered into a joint venture with Prodea, a private investment firm founded by the Ansari family (the same Ansaris who funded the $10 million X Prize). The company also has partnered with the Federal Space Agency of the Russian Federation to develop a fleet of suborbital spaceflight vehicles. The space transportation system, called Explorer, consists of a carrier aircraft, the M-55X, and a rocket spacecraft. It will have the capacity to carry five people into space, Space Adventures said. The company subsequently announced it has entered into agreements to build spaceports in the United Arab Emirates and in Singapore. “The Ansari X Prize inspired and enabled the future of private spaceflights by proving that the necessary technology can be developed commercially,” said Eric Anderson, CEO of Space Adventures. Anousheh Ansari and Anderson agreed in a statement, “Our visions for opening the space frontier are completely aligned. This joint venture will enable millions of people to realize their dreams of spaceflight.”