There seems to be a growing trend for rich people or celebrities to go into space. For example
- Dennis Tito – While not a traditional celebrity, Dennis Tito became the first private space tourist when he flew to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft in 2001. Tito is a multimillionaire businessman and engineer.
- Charles Simonyi – a software engineer and former Microsoft executive, flew to the ISS as a space tourist in 2007 and again in 2009. He became the first private space traveler to make multiple trips to space.
- Guy Laliberté – co-founder of Cirque du Soleil, traveled to the ISS as a space tourist in 2009. During his mission, Laliberté used his spaceflight to raise awareness about global water issues through a multimedia performance.
- Anousheh Ansari – an Iranian-American engineer and entrepreneur, flew to the ISS in 2006 as the first female space tourist. She documented her journey and experiences in space through her blog.
- Sarah Brightman – a renowned soprano singer and actress, trained as a backup cosmonaut for a Soyuz mission to the ISS in 2015. While she ultimately did not fly to space, her participation generated significant media attention.
- Richard Garriott – a video game developer and entrepreneur, flew to the ISS as a private astronaut in 2008. He followed in the footsteps of his father, Owen Garriott, who was a NASA astronaut.
- Mark Shuttleworth – a South African entrepreneur and founder of Canonical Ltd., flew to the ISS aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft in 2002 as the second self-funded space tourist.
- Michael López-Alegría – While not a traditional celebrity, former NASA astronaut Michael López-Alegría flew to space as a participant in the first fully private mission to the ISS, Axiom Space’s Ax-1 mission, in 2022. The mission included three private individuals as well as López-Alegría, who served as commander.
Therefore this made me start thinking about what would be required to be a rocket in case I ever had sufficient spare money and a couple of years to wate.
With the help of trusted friend ChatGPT, I came up with the following:
- Mission Requirements: Define the mission objectives, payload requirements, target orbit, and other mission parameters to determine the specifications for the rocket.
- Conceptual Design: Conceptualize the design of the rocket, considering factors such as size, shape, propulsion system, staging configuration, and structural requirements.
- Detailed Design: Develop detailed plans and specifications for every component of the rocket, including the fuselage, engines, avionics, guidance systems, payload fairings, and recovery systems.
- Materials Selection: Select appropriate materials for each component of the rocket, taking into account factors such as strength, weight, heat resistance, and durability.
- Manufacturing: Manufacture the rocket components using advanced manufacturing techniques such as machining, welding, casting, and composite layup.
- Assembly: Assemble the individual components into the complete rocket, including the fuselage, engines, payload fairings, and other subsystems.
- Testing: Conduct a series of tests to verify the performance and safety of the rocket, including structural testing, thermal testing, vibration testing, and functional testing of all systems and components.
- Integration: Integrate the rocket with its launch vehicle and payload, ensuring that all systems are properly aligned and functioning together.
- Launch and Operations: Transport the rocket to the launch site, conduct final checks and preparations, and launch the rocket into space. During launch and ascent, monitor the rocket’s performance and trajectory from mission control. After completing its mission, the rocket may be recovered for refurbishment and reuse, depending on its design.
Therefore if you do have the money and time then I hope that you find the above list useful, and please me know how you get on.
Good luck !!
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