Camera: Olympus C740UZ

Snapped by: My brother, last year
* The second photo is of the Atomium in Brussels.

Google Sightseeing is brought to you by Alex, James & Olly who take you to the best tourist spots in the world via satellite images from Google Local (formerly Google Maps) & Google Earth.

A very nice blog.

I just got this computer model of the spaceport which is to be built in Ras Al-Khaimah. Looks beautiful.

Related Posts: Space Tourism

Source: Space Adventures

Do you want to travel to space?

Silly question, isn’t it? Everybody wants to but few can. Well, UAE has decided to “tap space tourism” after tapping everythin else. A company is going to develop a commercial “space port” in Ras Al khaimah.

I dont think it will attract many passengers, you know the reason – the ticket will cost a fortune but it may reduce the costs.

Well here is the Gulf News article about it:

“The only company to have sent tourists into space has announced plans to develop a commercial spaceport in Ras Al Khaimah, from where it will operate suborbital flights.

His Highness Shaikh Saqr Bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, and the emirate’s Department of Civil Aviation have granted clearance to Space Adventures Ltd to operate suborbital flights from the emirate. The project will cost $265 million (Dh975 million), officials said.

The Russian-built suborbital vehicle called Explorer will have the capacity to transport up to five people to an altitude of nearly 100km in space, but the project’s schedule is yet to be announced.

The spaceport will be funded among others by the Government of Ras Al Khaimah and Space Adventures. The Virginia-based company is also partnering Ras Al Khaimah to expand the spaceport project beyond UAE to other potential space toursim locations such as Singapore and the US.

The UAE spaceport, to be located less than an hour’s drive from Dubai, already has commitments for $30 million (Dh110 million).

“I am proud to announce Ras Al Khaimah as the site where commercial suborbital travel will flourish,” said Shaikh Saud Bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Ras Al Khaimah Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler. “As a leader in tourism, the UAE is the ideal location for the spaceport,” said Eric Anderson, President and CEO of Space Adventures.

The company was behind the trips of the world’s first three space tourists, sending Dennis Tito, Greg Oslen and Mark Shuttleworth to the International Space Station.”