ESA ready to support European space tourism efforts

The position paper can be found here. The agency has already conducted its own studies with one project that looked at the feasibilty of an air launched system and another project that offered business plan support; the company that won that award was the UK's Starchaser Industries. ESA has also managed a European Union space tourism study

Here is a rundown, with images, of the various declared European (and I do include the Russians in that description) suborbital ventures


credit: Starchaser Industries / caption: above is the Thunderstar capsule concept
Starchaser Industries is the only European space tourism company to have recieved funding from ESA to date. With operations in both the UK and the US the company has been looking to launch from New Mexico's planned Spaceport America  


credit: EADS Astrium
EADS Astrium's "space jet" is yet to be properly named and the company has yet to secure the €1 billion it estimates it would need to develop the vehicle and the European aerospace giant does not intend to fly services


credit: Myasishchev Design Bureau 
Russia's Myasishchev Design Bureau is working on a feasibility study for an air-launched suborbital tourism vehicle f or an undisclosed Russian company


credit: Project Enterprise
A consortium of European technology companies has been developing a single-stage suborbital spaceplane, they have completed some work but are still seeking financing

 
credit: European Astronaut Club
This is the European Astronaut Club's (ACE) own Véhicule Suborbital Habité (VSH) concept. ACE is an organisation that exists to promote space exploration and help bring about a European space tourism industry 
 

credit: Spacefleet
The UK based-Spacefleet club organised a pan-European consortium to submit a proposal for the European Union's Seventh Framework reseach programme but unfortunately the submission had to be abandoned. The club is still seeking investors  

And finally I would describe the following as US-European joint ventures

credit: Space Adventures
This Myasishchev Design Bureau designed Explorer suborbital vehicle was to have been operated by the US company Space Adventures and launched by a Myasishchev M-55X but a lack of funds ended its development


credit: Virgin Galactic
And last but not least, maybe you would call it Anglo-US but knowing Sir Richard Branson's pro-European leanings I think he would be happy to call Virgin Galactic a US-European collaboration

The ESA position paper has been published ahead of the International Academy of Astronautics' symposium on private human access to space that is taking place in Arcachon, France next week. I will be attending so as long as I can find some internet access in the little seaside resort that is Arcachon, you can expect daily blogs from me from that event