We all want our holidays to be out of this world – but don’t be surprised if you come back without a suntan from the latest exotic break to hit the tourism market.
One British company is offering seats to adventurers willing to go the extra mile on a historic journey to the moon.
And the first 500,000-mile round trip in a converted Soviet-era space station could take place as early as 2015.
Next frontier: Jenn Sander, wearing a spacesuit once worn by U.S. Astronaut Peggy Whitson, sits inside a re-entry capsule owned by British space-exploration company Excalibur Almaz
Isle of Man-based Excalibur Almaz announced at a space tourism meeting in London that it is ready to sell tickets - likely to cost around £100 million per person.
If the bold plan succeeds, it will be a private British space company that will carry out the first manned moon mission since Apollo 17 in 1972.
The aim is for three people to fly to the moon, orbit the lunar surface and return safely to earth.
Excalibur Almaz has acquired two Soviet space stations, designed for orbital spying operations. Thrusters attached to the stations will convert them to long-distance spaceships.
Snug: An interior view of the capsule shows a rather cosy fit
Four re-entry capsules, or re-usable return vehicles (RRVs), will ferry three people at a time to the orbiting space station and return them to earth.
Much of the actual flying will be computer-controlled and all necessary training, including the human skills needed to pilot the spacecraft, is provided in the package.
