Send stuff to space for $99

I came across this and thought others might find it interesting

SANTA CLARA, Calif., April 18 /PRNewswire/ -- For $99 anyone can now send a payload into space through a new suborbital space launch service. Masten Space Systems' new "CanSats To Space" payload program will carry 350 gram, "soda can" sized payloads into space and back

You cant keep your stuff up there though So no homemade sputniks. I guess it might be a space junk issue since there already seems to be alot of stuff up there and it can be very dangerous to billion dollar projects or people.

The company's XA 1.0 suborbital launch vehicle will carry the CanSats into space (at least 100 kilometers) where they will experience several minutes of microgravity and can be exposed to the vacuum of space. The vehicle will then gently return to its take-off point where the CanSats are removed and shipped back to their owners. The vehicle itself provides power and data communications for each CanSat which allows the customer to focus on their particular application.

Seems kind of cool concept and priced for the budget space explorer. I wonder if we will ever be able to pay to send stuff into deep space. That would be really cool.

biz.yahoo.com...

masten-space.com...

They would be homemade sputniks! sucker was up less than two hours.

$250/kg vs 20000... that's pretty good. I wonder how much is profit. This is a baby industry and theyre one of the first.

It's only suborbit, why can't they release a few of the larger ones(ei ones who buy multiple spaces onboard) to fall and burn up, all the while sending back telemetery. Never know what we may learn...

I was thinking if they could keep them up alittle longer or alittle higher we might not be that far off from suborbital space mail. Which can reach pretty much any place on the earth in 2 hours.

You could send a package from the US to Australia and have it arrive the day before you sent it at those speeds thanks to time zones. For when your package needs to be there yesterday Though $250/kg shipping and handling is alittle steep.

[edit on 7-6-2006 by ShadowXIX]