Affordable space tourism 'in 10 years', predicts NASA astronaut

Former NASA astronaut Don Thomas flew four missions on the Space Shuttle during the Nineties. He spent 44 days in space, orbiting the planet 700 times. He explains why we may see man on Mars as soon as 2041, how seeing Earth from above changes you forever and why space tourism will one day be as affordable as a trip to Antarctica.

When did you first decide you wanted to be an astronaut?

It was a childhood dream. I was six years old when the first American launched into space. May 5, 1961. My school ushered all the students into the gymnasium, and I watched the launch on TV. I knew there and then that I wanted to do that myself. The next year, John Glen orbited the earth. He became one of my heroes. A few years later, Neil Armstrong landed on the moon. Both Glen and Armstrong were from my home state, Ohio. That helped. As I grew up, my desire to go to space became more and more intense.

Did you always think it was an achievable dream?

I didn’t know. But nobody told me I couldn’t do it, and nobody tried to talk me out of it. When I reached high school, America launched the first space station, Skylab [in 1973] – and they had science astronauts on board. I loved science. I started to see that as my path.

How did you react when you were selected for the Space Shuttle mission in 1994?

I was first selected to be an astronaut four years before that. You receive the phone call, and they tell you that you have made it into the programme. I recall that day clearly. I was jumping up and down, yelling and screaming. I was 35.

What does a launch feel like?

It’s incredibly exciting. That first launch morning, you almost can’t believe where you are and what you’re about to do. You strap into your seat. There’s a little anxiety. You don’t know how you’re going to feel when it starts.

I remember my first time. I was lying on my back. I could feel the vibrations, hear the roar of the engines. Then I felt the push of the Shuttle as it was taking off. It felt like I had somebody’s hand in the middle of my back, shoving me up into the sky. At that moment, I knew I was on my way. I was going somewhere, the engines weren’t going to shut down. I had my helmet on, visor down, nobody in the world could hear me – and I was screaming with happiness. I bet Tim Peake did the same thing. It’s an incredible moment.

We have a Space Shuttle launch simulator at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. I really wish I’d had something like that at the time of my training. It shakes you, it rattles and rolls. It puts you through something of the experience.

How does it feel to see Earth from above for the first time?

You can’t believe the beauty of it. I’d seen pictures, I’d seen IMAX movies. But when you first look out of the window, you gasp. The sky is a darker black than you’ve ever seen. And up against that blackness, the blue earth, and a thin layer of atmosphere. Paper thin. It almost appears to be glowing, like a fluorescent blue. A really beautiful colour.

What was the first thing you looked for? Did you look for home, for Ohio?

On my first mission, I could look out of the window and just about tell whether we were over water or dirt. I had no idea where I was, even though I'd studied and I'd had a lot of classes. But later on, as I flew more, I could pick out landmarks. I would specifically look for the Panama Canal, for Mount Everest, for Victoria Falls.

Your career was book-ended by the two Space Shuttle disasters. Was fear a big factor during launches – or did your training teach you to deal with that?

Every astronaut has an image of Challenger blowing up [in 1986] in the back of their head. There's no getting around that. It's in my wife's head, my family's heads. During my first launches, I was always a little scared. I told people I was 10 per cent scared out of my mind, and 90 per cent running on pure adrenaline. I flew before the Columbia accident [in 2003]. In my era, we always thought that once you made it to space, you were safe – you would definitely come home. We now know that you are not safe until you get back. I was never afraid on the way home. It was always comfortable. And fascinating, looking out of the window, seeing the fire as you re-enter. But if, at a launch, any astronaut tells you they are not scared – I say they are either lying, or they are crazy.

What is the future of space exploration? Have we reached our limits?

No. The future is incredibly bright. We're in the building phase right now, new vehicles and facilities. We have commercial space companies who will be sending tourists up. The more people who can get up there to see Earth, the better off our world will be. It takes 15 seconds to look out of the window, and it changes forever the way you look at the planet.

NASA is building a new system of Orion spacecraft. The first test launch will be in 2018. These things are so powerful. It will be incredible to watch one of the launches. With these new vehicles, we will possibly send astronauts back to the moon, but maybe also onto asteroids – and, 25 to 30 years from now, to Mars.

You think man will land on Mars that soon?

It's within reach. It depends on budgets. But this new generation of rockets invites it.

Is space tourism really possible, or is it just a fantasy?

It's going to happen. Virgin Galactic may be the first. Sub-orbital flights that go to about 85 miles high – for five minutes of zero gravity, and to show you the black sky and the curvature of the earth. I would guess they will be launching in the next two years. And then there are other companies, like SpaceX, which has been sending supplies to the International Space Station, and is due to start sending crews next year. Shortly after that, I would anticipate they will send paying customers as well. It's beginning to open up. You're going to see the price drop. To go to the Space Station now, as a tourist – you pay the Russians $65million. With Virgin Galactic, the price comes down to a quarter of a million dollars. I would think that, in a decade or so, you will see flights to space for $10,000 to $15,000. Space travel will be more in line with an exotic trip to Antarctica.

Do you really think it will be that affordable?

Well, it will still be a lot of money. But it will be within reach. It won't just be for millionaires and billionaires.

Where do you go on holiday? And does everything on Earth seem a little dull from the ground once you've seen it from above?

NASA trains the fear out of you. So I don't go to theme parks any more. A rollercoaster is not thrilling for me – I know I'm strapped in, totally safe. That's something that NASA has ruined for me forever [laughs]. But Earth is still amazing. I was in Dublin a couple of days ago. It's nice to meet people rather than just gaze at them from space.

Does flying on a plane feel awfully slow?

It does. I flew to Dubai recently. It took 15 hours. It used to be 35 minutes in the Shuttle.

Don Thomas is an ambassador for Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex (001 877 313 2610; KennedySpaceCenter.com), in Florida – and leads regular tours of the site. Visitors can also see the retired Space Shuttle Atlantis, and try the 'Shuttle Launch Experience. Admission costs from $50 (£35) for adults – and from $40 (£28) for children aged 3-11.