Wright Stuff

Recounted through a well-selected collection of photographs, this discussion relates a succession of advancements and risk taking, chronicling the evolution of space tourism. Traveling back to the almost simultaneous beginnings of aviation and rocketry, this analysis highlights the crucial names in the industry, honoring them with “The Wright Stuff” awards for their contributions. Illustrating how today’s tickets to space have been made possible not just by entrepreneurs and engineers but also by the efforts of artists, regulators, politicians, and some of the earliest aviators, this exploration also touches on today’s rapid expansion phase of Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic space flights. Clearly depicting how a commercial business can emerge in this swiftly growing field, this unique investigation also provides examples of how space tourists are helping to create reusable technologies of benefit to all.

Derek Webber is the Washington, DC, director of Spaceport Associates. He has directed three landmark studies that helped to establish the existence of a space tourism market. He is a former launch vehicle and satellite engineer, a senior member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and a fellow of the British Interplanetary Society. He has written many papers and articles, and is a joint author in four books, but this is his first as sole author.  He lives in Bethesda, Maryland. Buzz Aldrin was one of the first two humans to walk on the moon during the Apollo 11 landing of 1969. Since retiring from NASA, he has devoted himself to ensuring the continuation of manned space exploration. He lives in Los Angeles.