The UK’s Civil Aviation Authority say they believe sub-orbital Space flights are the “future” of flight travel, with passengers jetted out of the atmosphere to drastically reduce the amount of time in the air.
Research is ongoing between the UK Civil Aviation Authority and the RAF, looking into the effects of suborbital Space flights on the human body.
At present, a flight to Sydney, Australia, from the UK takes 24 hours of travel but, under these plans, passengers could be there in just two.
Experts say they believe the flights will be ready within the next decade, but medical studies are ongoing to check the impact it would have on the bodies of average holidaymakers.
CAA’s medical lead for space flight Dr Ryan Anderton told the Times that it was “definitely not science fiction” and would happen “a lot sooner than people think... certainly less than 10 years”.
Evidence suggests older passengers could handle the strain easier than those who are younger
King’s College London is also part of the study and, along with the CAA and the RAF, says that the evidence collated so far supports the idea, and they believe the majority of people could withstand the G-force that would be required to undergo the flight.
They even say they have found evidence that suggests older passengers could handle the strain easier than those who are younger because of stiffer joints and vascular system. However, there may be problems for those with cardiac issues.
Dr Ryan Anderton, the CAA’s medical lead for flight, said that “physiological responses are likely to be benign for most passengers” but older people usually have slightly “stiffer arteries” which could lessen the pooling of blood away from the brain.
At present, the quickest journey from the UK capital to Sydney is 22 hours, and airline Qantas is aiming to introduce a direct route by the year 2025, which would cut it down to 19 hours.
However, the suborbital Space flights will be pricey. The CAA believes the price of a ticket when the scheme launches could cost in excess of a whopping £350,000, but experts say this would go down over time, with the flight path eventually “accessible to anybody”.
The report, published in the Aerospace Medicine and Human Performance scientific journal, said: “Commercial suborbital Space flights are now available for tourism and scientific research, and are ultimately anticipated to mature into extremely fast point-to-point travel, eg London to Sydney in less than two hours.”
