Voyage to the Moon, ISS Staged - World First

Have you always wanted to go to the moon, to explore deep space, to become a world class adventurer and to set new goals in exploration? This is the most adventurous trip ever! The moon is still a mystery; there are still many places to explore on its surface and many more discoveries to be made. The Deep Space Expeditions program (DSE-Alpha) has two distinct flight profiles for launching a mission to the moon. The ISS Staged profile includes up to 14 days spent at the International Space Station with a five-and-one-half-day lunar flight. The second flight profile, called Direct Staged, is a nine-day mission with a three-day free flight in low Earth orbit and a five-and-one-half-day lunar flight segment. Both DSE-Alpha missions use lunar boosters assembled in low Earth orbit and a lunar free-return flight profile, which includes circumnavigation of the moon. ISS Staged Training: Your adventure begins when you travel to Star City, Russia, and the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre. As part of an elite group of prospective space travellers, you study the basics of becoming a cosmonaut and train in both Soyuz spacecraft and International Space Station simulators. Space Adventures' experienced staff is on-site, ensuring that all your goals for this historic endeavour are met. Pre-launch: Approximately two weeks prior to launch, you and your DSE-Alpha crewmembers travel to the Baikonur Cosmodrome in the Republic of Kazakhstan. At this world-famous complex, final launch preparations commence for the first leg of your lunar mission, a launch to the ISS.

Day 1 Launch: When launch day arrives, family and friends cheer as you board a Soyuz booster emblazoned with your company logo and launch to orbit for a historic rendezvous with the moon. During the two-day journey to the ISS, there is much needed time to relax and adapt to the weightlessness of space.

Day 2 ISS Docking: Imagine the excitement of entering the space station, meeting the crew and touring this massive space facility. Once the formal ISS arrival and familiarization process are completed, you settle in for your stay.

Days 3—14 Living and Working in Space: The space station is an ideal facility for studying the Earth from space and for conducting research in its microgravity environment. Your 10- to 14-day stay provides plenty of time to observe the Earth from space and conduct a research project of your own choosing.

Day 14 Zenit Launch: Back on Earth, final preparations are made as a second vehicle, called the Zenit, is readied for launch. Its payload is a high-energy upper stage called Block DM—the flight-proven engine that will push your Soyuz spacecraft to the moon. With the Block DM safely parked in low Earth orbit, you and your crewmates undock from the ISS and head for a rendezvous with the upper stage.

Day 15 Block DM Docking: After the Soyuz has docked and all systems are checked, all loose items are secured and you strap yourself in. With the chatter of mission control in your headset, gravity returns to the Soyuz. The thrust from the Block DM engine fires and you accelerate to 24,000 miles per hour. When the fuel is depleted, the latches holding both spacecraft together release, and the Soyuz backs away from the upper stage. With the boost phase complete, you unstrap and look back at the Earth receding below.

Day 18 Lunar Rendezvous: Two days have passed since the lunar boost. Your outstretched palm completely covers the Earth. Your ship enters lunar gravity as the surface brightens and high-definition cameras record the dramatic view of the sunlit far side. Radio communication with Earth fades as the massive moon blocks the link. Like some distant island in a vast ocean, the Earth appears over the horizon. Suddenly, the silence is broken by familiar voices. With the event still fresh in your mind, you try to convey what you have witnessed to those back home.

Day 21 Earth Re-entry: Your commander makes final checks with mission control as gear is sorted and readied for Earth re-entry. You and your crewmembers don space suits, seal off the orbital module and strap into your seats. The Earth looms large again outside and excitement builds as you anticipate being greeted back on the surface.

Now begins your new life as one of the few space pioneers to have journeyed to the moon. The crew will enjoy a spectacular view of the lunar landscape. It is our objective to conduct the mission when the lunar far side is illuminated. The lunar far side is dramatically different from the lunar near side due to the large amount of craters located on that side. The Federal Space Agency of the Russian Federation’s (FSA) goal is to install a large window made of optical quality in the side of the orbital module. The window will help facilitate astronomy and lunar photography during the mission. The size of the window will be approximately 15 inches in diameter and 47.1 inches in circumference. DSE-Alpha mission will take place aboard the modern Soyuz TMA spacecraft. This proven transport vehicle has delivered crews to more than three generations of space stations and supported space expeditions lasting as long as six months. The Soyuz spacecraft and its robotic sister spacecraft, the Progress M, have established a solid performance record in low Earth orbit. However, few people know that the Soyuz was originally designed to support manned lunar missions. The Soyuz can accommodate a crew of two to three and has a habitable volume of 10m3. A comparison (to the volume of a Soyuz) would be to a large SUV. This will be the first manned lunar mission since 19 December 1972. It will be the first ever Russian lunar manned mission using a Soyuz, the first Earth Orbit Rendezvous (EOR) lunar mission, he first manned atmospheric skip of re-entry capsule and the first manned private lunar mission. Who has the sense of exploration and adventure to undertake such a historic mission? Do you want to be the 28th person to circumnavigate/orbit the moon?