Experience real Zero Gravity just like a real cosmonaut!

Cosmonaut profession is probably the most romantic as much as dangerous and difficult. Becoming a cosmonaut or astronaut is not that easy – it takes years to master new skills and information and to meet requirements. In September we wrote about a unique place which astronauts and cosmonauts pass their trainings to be ready to proceed to the ISS - Star City, which could be called a “University for cosmonauts”.

During a training course which can last up to several years a candidate has to practice certain drills. One of such is a Zero Gravity flight – an obligatory element of cosmonaut training. During the first stage of a drill candidates get used to weightlessness, learn how to behave themselves in a complete absence of weight, how to enter and leave a state of Zero Gravity without harm to their body. On the second stage they learn to perform some basic moves and operations in weightlessness and to test equipment.

If you ever dreamt to become a cosmonaut or astronaut, you now have unique opportunity to join Zero Gravity flight as it is available not only for successful candidates but also to ordinary tourists! You may wonder where, apart from the space itself, one can train like a real cosmonaut? The answer will amaze you: these drills are conducted on Earth, in the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training center in Star City, which is not far from Moscow. This place is the only one in Russia, where you can participate in real cosmonaut training in Zero Gravity.

The second question you may wonder is “How is this possible?”. The answer may also surprise you because of its simplicity. Weightlessness is simulated onboard a Russian laboratory plane IL-76 MDK, designed in 1988 especially for drills in Zero Gravity. The IL-76 MDK takes off, climbs to a “regular” altitude of 6,5 kilometers then starts to rise from 6,5 to 9,5 kilometers. When the aircraft reaches this altitude, it immediately begins to descend down, back to 6,5 kilometers. At the moment when a plane is about to come close to the 9,5 altitude and some time after it began its descend, Zero Gravity mode turns on aboard IL-76 plane.

Participants of the Zero G flight spend from 25 to 28 seconds in a complete weightlessness. During the whole flight which lasts for 1,5 hours, overall time when Zero Gravity mode is on estimates almost 5 minutes.

During the flight you can “test” weightlessness however you want: walk or stand still on the ceiling, spin around, fly all through the salon of the Il-76 plane or do the thing: spill a water while in Zero Gravity and try to drink it! An IL-76 aircraft is covered with a special soft material, so you won’t get hurt during your flight. You can check how others enjoyed their Zero G flight.

Our closest flight is scheduled on 21-22nd of November. To book a Zero Gravity flight, please contact us via email: jet@tour-space.com or adventure@tour-space.com.

The Star City: a university for cosmonauts

“How to become a cosmonaut?” – this request is very popular in Google search site. But still, you can hardly find a decent answer in the Internet space. During the tour to the Star City where Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center (GCTC) is located, you will learn how to become a cosmonaut and join the space program!

Now the only country that delivers space crews to the International Space station (ISS) is Russia, Cosmonauts and astronauts should go through a special training course in GCTC, located 25 kilometers from Moscow. The cosmonaut (astronaut) training is a very long and complicated process. It usually takes from 8 to 10 years to raise a fully educated and skilled specialist which is able to deal with space equipment and go to the Earth orbit. A decade ago only military pilot, medic or space engineer could apply a request for the space program. Now the requirement are not that strict, and almost everyone with a higher education connected with engineering, aviation and medicine can form an apply and forward it to the GCTC.

During the tour you will see actual training equipment, simulators and drill programs. The simulators in the GCTC are all unique: they are in fact full scale space vessels that are now floating to around the Earth attached to the ISS. Simulators and an equipment compared to the real one is identical. It can simulate both the “routine” flying and docking process and all kinds of emergency situation: wobbling, hardware malfunctions, connection problems, and even the fire!

If you are very much into a space field and you plan to travel via Russia, this trip is a “100% must” thing that you should do while you are in Moscow. To book a tour please send us a request to our email: jet@tour-space.com, containing a date of your desired tour and an amount of attenders. Please remember that you should form your request at leat 45 days before the tour date!

Star City tour could be only an introducing step into the cosmonautics field. Don’t miss our special tours and adventures, like Real Cosmonaut Training, Zero G Gravity flight and a Trip to Baikonur cosmodrome!

Visiting an incredible manned spacecraft launch

On the 13^th of September at 3:25 PM a slender shining rocket with a fancy spire on the top soared up in the night sky. Its mighty engines digested tons of fuels in just few dozen seconds, leaving a colorful trail behind the rocket. The trail was so bright that it lighted up an area kilometers far from the launching pad. It lasted only for several seconds while the rocket was still visible high in the sky. A few moments later the giant rocket turned into a small spark and within a couple of minutes one could not distinguish it from plentiful stars studding the Kazakhstan sky. The humanity became one more step closer to the space age.

This was the tiniest episode of the whole Baikonur trip that is arranged by our company. Baikonur is by today the biggest spaceport located in the northwest of Kazakhstan – ex-Soviet republic declared it independence in 1990. It was built amidst the vast and plain prairie spread out in the northern Kazakhstan by the beginning of May 1957. The spaceport was built within 9 months.

Now the Baikonur spaceport is also an only place from where international astronauts and Russian cosmonauts reach the International Space Station. But is not only because of this Baikonur became so popular: tourists all over the world gather there to see manned spaceship launches. Baikonur spaceport (cosmodrome in Russian) is the place in the world where ordinary tourists can see manned and cargo spaceship launch, see real launching pads, visit once secret bunkers and control rooms, learn a lot of information about the space exploration.

Even if you are not new to the cosmonautics field, during our tour you will learn a lot of unique facts and interesting stories. For example, you will learn that “Orlan” spacesuit as well as spaceship’s armchairs are crafted individually for every cosmonaut and astronaut. You will see a transportation and verticalization of the manned Souyz rocket. You will be able to take photos and even have a brief talk with a nowadays heroes – reserve space crew for the ISS!

The next launch is scheduled on 17^th of December – hurry up and contact us to get places within a group!

Mig-29 flight date: when Your Dream Come True

So the very day when your dream come true has finally come! Clearances are set up and your heart skips a beat in anticipation of a MiG-29 flight.

So at 9.00-9.30 you will be greeted by representative of our company in the lobby of the hotel where you stayed in. You will be then taken to the “Sokol” aircraft plant which provides airfield and equipment for touristic flights. While going to the plant you will see a lot of Nizhny Novgorod’s sightseeings, so you definitely won’t be bored!

9.30 - 9:45 – You arrive to “Sokol” plant. “Sokol” is a state-owned enterprise which security is very tight. So please take international passport with you. Don’t please forget that any kind of recording equipment is prohibited on the territory of the plant.

9:45 - 10:15 – transfer to the airfield. You will be acquainted with your pilot, discuss your flight program and ask questioned whatever may concern you.

10:15 – 10:30 – medical checkup. Attending physician will check your pressure to make sure you are okay,

10:30 - 10:45 – equipment briefing. You can try on pressure-compensating suit, necessary for flights, and learn how to use oxygen mask and helmet communication systems.

11:15 – 11:45 – you will proceed to the landing field where you will find your fighter that is going to lift you right in the Stratosphere! Your pilot will tell you about Mig-29 fighter’s key features, show how to use your communication link and read fighter’s dashboard.

12:00 – So, here you go! Canopy locks up, engines starts and the fighter takes off… The flight you were dreaming begins!

13:00 – 13:15 – landing. After the flight you can refresh in a shower and change clothes. A couple of minutes later you will be handled a certificate about your flight. Your flight type, date and time will be recorded. Your pilot will sign it up. Now no one will dare to doubt that you have seen Earth’s curvature from 18 kms high in the Stratosphere!

13:15 -14:00 – a tour to a unique Sokol plant museum. It is located on the plant’s territory and ordinary tourists are not allowed visit the museum. You will be one of few who are able to attend it, while our guides will tell you about “Sokol” history and warplanes that the plant was producing: MiG-15, MiG-21, MiG-39 and, of course, MiG-29.

14:00 – 14:30 – departure from a plant’s territory.

So this is how your flight day will look like! If you want to book a MiG-29 flight, please proceed to our site and contact us by email or phone.

We will be looking forward to seeing you on our adventures!

A tour to a spacecraft launch

Somewhere in Kazakhstan among the almost deserted and unwelcoming land one of the largest spaceports spread out on many miles across. And not only it, but a whole town was founded on a land, previously not inhabited. Yes, you are right: we are talking about Baikonur! Some time ago we already posted some a story about Baikonur spaceport, claiming that a tour there could become one of the most unforgettable tours you ever had.

Manned launches happen not so often – only several times a year, and most of them are usually scheduled on summer time. Although, a space rocket launch has always been a very stressful process for all involved staff, this time everything went safe and clear. On 26^th of July installation of a Russian spacecraft “Souyz-MC-05” was carried out just as planned. Tourists who booked our Baikonur tour accompanied its transportation to a processing facility then they visited “Proton” and Saturn Launching facilities, visit launching site num. 1, from which Yuri Gagarin, a First Man in Space, began his space journey! They had a unique tour to International Space school, walk through a memorable Alley of the Cosmonauts, planted by Russian/Soviet cosmonauts and astronauts from all over the world. And finally, they had a unique opportunity to see off 52^nd international crew before their departure to ISS!

At 18:41 on 28^th of July a Russian spaceship “Souyz-MC-05” successfully launched from a Baikonur spaceport. The crew of the spaceship supplemented a current crew of the International Space Station – USA astronauts Peggy Wilson and Jack Fisher and a Russian cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin. This time a rocket carrier delivered Italian astronaut Paolo Nespoli, NASA astronaut Randolph Bresnik and Russian cosmonaut Sergey Ryazanskiy to an ISS. They are the prime crew of the 53^rd expedition. Nespoli, Bresnik and Ryzanskiy are not new to the space: for Nespoli it is this 3^rd flight, while Bresnik and Ryaznskiy have their 2^nd visit to ISS.

If you didn't join this trip, do not be upset! The next manned launch is scheduled on 13th of September. Do not miss your chance to see spacecraft launch by yourself!

Mig-29 flights is 100% legal!

You probably might think that one cannot have a flight on a real fighter such as legendary “lightning” of Russian aviation – Mig29. That is totally wrong today. You can enjoy a flight on a real Mig even if you are not a military pilot and have zero flight experience!

MiG flight for tourists are performed absolutely legal, according to the Decree of the Russian government from 23^rd of May 2005. As was mentioned in the Decree, not only Russian citizens can fly on Mig fighters, but also foreigners. The only one place in the world from where you are able to have a flight on a fighter is “Sokol” aircraft plant, located in Nizhny Novgorod.

It has been more than 10 years that we organize MiG flights for tourists all over the world. Safety is not only our top priority, but also a priority for “Sokol”plant – one of the oldest aircraft plants in Russia. Since 1925 only highly professional employees work there, and it is thanks to them, that the plant gained its respect among other enterprises of the aircraft industry.

It is, of course, neither fair nor wrong to state that our flights are 100% safe – there is always an insignificant chance of uptoward result of the flight. We organized more than 200 Mig-29 flights, and not a single one was ended due to the emergency situation, because of which a pilot had to cease a flight.

Experienced technical staff of Sokol plant scrutinize a fighter before each flight. Our pilots are honored with several thousands of flight hours experience. Whims of nature – rain, wind, snowfall won’t affect or cancel the flight. MiG-29 is all-weather 3-rd generation fighter constructed to perform its task any time of year.

MAKS 2017: one of the main events of 2017

The Confederacy cup is over, but Moscow still remain one of the most visited places in Russia. And although the weather is not so welcoming, there are at least two reasons why thousands of foreign tourists does not haste to leave Russian capital: high season and MAKS 2017.

MAKS 2017 is an international Aviation and Space airshow, which usually take place at Zhukovsky airfield, located 40 kilometers far from Moscow. First MAKS (stands for: International and Aviation Show in Russian) was first held in 1993. The primal aim of MAKS airshow is to demonstrate latest Russian technologies and products connected with air and space. Nowadays MAKS is one of the biggest airshows and aircraft exhibitions in Europe and the biggest in Eastern Europe.

This year the airshow takes place in 6 days – from 18th of July to 23rd of July. On 18th of July the airshow will be opened only for government members and foreign official delegations.

MAKS is not only a spectacular show, but also a main event for those who are interested in buying Russian high technologies and investing in it. From19th and 20th of July the airshow will be available only for business and VIP guests.

But MAKS could be interesting not only to entrepreneurs, but also to ordinary tourists. One of the main features of the airshow is the performance of aerobatic teams from all over the world. From 21st of July to 23rd of July everyone is able to enjoy the show.

Majority of foreign aerobatic teams pilot training or sport aircraft, while Russian participants perform their flight on real military aircrafts. Thus the central event of the whole airshow is an aerobatic flight program of Russian teams such as “Strizhi” (“The Swifts”) and “Russkie Vityazi” (“The Russian Knights”). “Strizhi” is a world-famous aerobatic group consisted of MiG-29 (“Fulcrum-C”, according to the NATO codification) – real military fighter jets, which agility and speed, strengthened by an incredible skill of pilots, allow to demonstrate various and complicated aerobatic maneuvers, such as “barrel”, “tail slide”, “hammerhead” and others. It is even able to rise to the altitude of 16-17 kilometers above the ground!

For those truly interested in aviation and space MAKS 2017 will be an undoubted “must see” event. It is also a great reason to visit Russia, if you haven’t done it yet. The airshow could be interesting not only for aviation lovers, but also for everyone loving high technologies, spectacle and speed!

We offer 6-day MAKS tour and 4-day MAKS tour, which includes not only attendance of this incredible airshow for 2 or 3 days, but also sightseeing tour over Moscow, Monino museum tour and a lot more!

Contact us and book now while we still have available reservations!