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Space: a new destination for the Quebec market
MONTREAL, Feb. 1, 2013, 2013 (Canada NewsWire via COMTEX) --
Philippe Bergeron: Uniktour president to be the first Canadian to
experience a suborbital space flight this December
Uniktour, a leading travel agency
and tour operator specializing in custom travel in faraway
destinations, announced today that it has signed an exclusive
distribution agreement with Xcor Aerospace and Space Expedition
Corporation (SXC) for the distribution of suborbital flights in the
Quebec market. Quebecers can now reserve their place for a unique
adventure on a flight to space's frontier, where they will be able to
experience weightlessness and admire the Earth's curvature at an
altitude of 62KM above the earth. Philippe Bergeron, founding president
of Uniktour, will become the first Canadian to experience a suborbital
flight when he takes off in December 2013. Sylvain Bélair, executive
director of the Cosmodome, is Uniktour's first customer to confirm his
seat on board a suborbital flight in 2014.
Space, the 120th( )destination offered by Uniktour
"Today's announcement is the culmination of more than 10 years of
efforts by the Uniktour team. I am really proud and excited to finally
be able to offer our customers the incomparable experience of space
travel," said Mr. Bergeron.
"The day is not so far off that one will be able to travel to Tokyo in
two hours via a suborbital flight. We are on the brink of a new
alternative to the jet-powered aircraft that makes use of all the
latest technological advances. This new mode of travel is a
rocket-driven suborbital aircraft. It was crucial for me look to the
future and experience this mode of travel first-hand so that Uniktour
could better advise its customers." Travelers will be able to
experience weightlessness on board a suborbital flight after only a few
minutes of propulsion by four reusable rocket engines on board Xcor's
Lynx Mark I shuttle.
"We are very enthusiastic about working with Uniktour to offer Quebecers
the possibility of a trip into space. Since safety is a constant
concern for us, we take care to comply with best safety practices in
commercial air travel and all major safety elements that apply to
military flight to our commercial activities," said Reinhard Spronk,
Chief Commercial Officer, Space Expedition Corporation.
A first satisfied customer
Sylvain Bélair, executive director of the Cosmodome, is the first
Quebecer to reserve his seat for a suborbital flight with Uniktour.
"What an amazing time of space exploration we live in. The fact that I
will soon travel to the limits of space is a childhood dream come true!
This suborbital flight will be a crucial step towards space travel
before tourists can one day travel to an orbital station and the
surface of the moon," said Mr. Bélair.
From California to the stars
In suborbital flight, the spaceship takes off like a commercial airliner
(horizontally) from the spaceport located in California's Mohave
Desert. It then tilts to an 80-degree angle and travels at Mach II,
twice the speed of sound. Only one passenger can travel in this
spaceship, seated in the cockpit beside the pilot. He or she will be
able to experience weightlessness for three to five minutes, in
addition to marveling at the darkness of space and the earth's
curvature before gliding back down for a horizontal landing.
Suborbital flight has the advantage of producing exactly the same
sensations as a longer flight in orbit. Unlike an orbital flight, the
shuttle's speed does not make it possible to remain in constant orbit
around the Earth.
Xcor Aerospace, which builds the Lynx Mark I shuttle, completed the
development of the Lynx rocket engine in May 2010 after nearly 5,000
firings and 66 test flights.
Reserve now at Uniktour
Whether they are space buffs, extreme adventurers or explorers with a
craving for the unknown, Uniktour's customers can now reserve a seat on
a suborbital flight, starting at $95,000 US.
_____________________________________________________________________
|Program |Price ($US)|Altitude|Shuttle |Spaceport |When|
|______________|___________|________|____________|_______________|____|
|Pioneer |$95,000 |+60 km |Lynx Mark I |Mojave |2013|
|______________|___________|________|____________|_______________|____|
|Founders' Club|$100,000 |+100 km |Lynx Mark II|Curacao, Mojave|2014|
|______________|___________|________|____________|_______________|____|
|Future |$100,000 |+100 km |Lynx Mark II|Curacao, Mojave|2015|
|Astronaut | | | | | |
|______________|___________|________|____________|_______________|____|
For more information, visit www.uniktourspace.com.
About Uniktour
Founded by Philippe Bergeron 12 years ago, Uniktour is a tour operator
and travel agency that organizes customized trips to meet its
customers' every whim. Its country specialists cover more than 120
destinations around the world, even the most exotic locations, with
unmatched know-how and expertise.
Attachment: Photos
Videos and fact sheets
SOURCE: Uniktour
To view this news release in HTML formatting, please use the following URL: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/February2013/01/c2281.html
SOURCE: Uniktour
Serge Vallieres Office: 514-843-2310 Cell: 514-589-7214 svallieres@national.ca
Emilie Dutil-Bruneau Office: 514-843-2370 Cell: 514-654-3180
edutilbruneau@national.ca
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