MirCorp: The Birth of Private Space
-Shot of the Mir Space Station from Space Shuttle Discovery-
In no other time in our history have we had as many dedicated space companies and organizations as we do now. We believe now, more than ever, that space travel can be affordable for everyone. The same excitement the world had for the Apollo missions of the 60's, will be revisited once again very soon by new space companies.
Just in the past decade we have seen the arrival of many great companies leading the new space charge. There are some which I have already dedicated some writing time to, such as SpaceX, Robert Bigelow of Bigelow Aerospace, and Burt Rutan of Scaled Composites/Virgin Galactic. So many young, and promising companies, all founded within the past decade.
Is it a mere coincidence that so many private space companies have been emerging only within the past decade? No.
We can thank a company named MirCorp, founded in 1999, and which was only in existence for little over 3-4 years, for helping kickstart an industry. This company's first mission was to acquire the Mir Space Station. They would use the station to sell services on board, which could range from performing scientific experiments in zero-g environments, to arranging trips to space for wealthy entrepreneurs. Funding for this project was provided by Walter Anderson, a man who made most of his millions of dollars in telecommunications, and spent a good amount of it on space projects. In 1999, MirCorp entered into a deal with the Russian government, and the space company RSC Energia. MirCorp would handle selling services aboard the craft, while the Russian government and Energia maintained the stations structural integrity and diminishing orbit. Very simple business plan, and the deal was made. This was the birth of the private space industry.
For the first time in human history, people not affiliated with a government, were able to buy a place in space. They bought a space station the way you buy a house, except this house happens to have the best scenic view you could imagine! Unfortunately, due to politics surrounding the existence of the International Space Station, and Walter Anderson losing a good amount of money during the dot-com bubble burst, the company did not last. Although MirCorp did not last, it set a precedent for future private space companies.
What we learned from MirCorp
To prove that a market exists in space for entrepreneurs to take advantage of, a business needed to lead the charge in trying to prove that the market was there. According to the official MirCorp website, here is what they proved:
"In terms of business development it proved several points. For one, that a private company that had access to space could work directly with major media and Hollywood outfits. Significant agreements were reached with NBC, Mark Burnett, and several leading entertainment houses which wished to remain anonymous.
And, of course, that if given the opportunity men and women will pay to journey into space.
Equally critical was the proof that given some imagination a lower cost path could, can and will be found to safely explore the solar system. Government contracting may not always be the most productive means for space exploration."
My favorite line of this passage has to be that "Men and women will pay to journey to space." As if that was a mystery to anyone! Would you pay to go to space if it was affordable? Yes you would! But I understand why they said this, because MirCorp had to provide proof that people would want to pay. They proved it when MirCorp was approached by a man named Dennis Tito.
The First Private Space Tourist
Dennis Tito was the first ever space tourist (or, person who paid for their own way up to space). Working with MirCorp, Dennis Tito was able to arrange a launch to the International Space Station aboard a Russian Soyuz rocket for around 20 million. This mission would not have been possible if MirCorp did not make a name for themself as a real space business. Ever since then, 7 other individuals have been able to pay there way up to the ISS. Space Adventures still flies space tourists til this day if you have the money! Space Adventures also helped fly the first female space tourist Anousheh Ansari.
Politics, politics, politics...
If you are at all familiar with this story, you will notice I left out a lot of the politics that were involved with the founding of MirCorp and space tourism. Also have not mentioned Walter Anderson's jail time for tax evasion (which although he is still in jail for, he has been exonerated of all charges). I left it out because this article would be a lot longer if I had to get into every detail. I decided to focus more on the results produced by MirCorp, and not how those results were obtained. Whatever your position is with Russia, NASA, Walter Anderson, NewSpace organizations, or space tourism, this company acted as the catalyst which created the exciting private space opportunities we know right now.
Learn more
Please check out the film Orphans of Apollo, and some of the links I have provided below. This should help you familiarize yourself with who was involved with MirCorp, and what they did. Keep in mind that even a documentary cannot capture the whole story, as Walter Anderson states in a letter he wrote for a special screening of this film at the NASA Ames Research facility in July, 2009:
"I sincerely hope that you enjoy the "Orphans of Apollo" documentary. "Orphans of Apollo" tells a great story. The story that it tells is a PART of the story of MirCorp, as seen through the eyes of the documentary's creators. It is not, however, the WHOLE story. Many people were dedicated to saving the MIR. I, and the other people who attempted to save and commercialize the MIR Space Station, did not consider ourselves "anarcho-capitalists" as the documentary suggests. Our goals certainly had nothing to do with one individual's desire to have his pirate flag flown to the MIR (as also dramatized by the documentary). What I would like to stress to you is that the founders of MirCorp invested time and resources in a high risk project. We knew that if we succeeded in creating a private, NON-MILITARY and commercial "space program", that it would not only be a business opportunity, but that it would be beneficial to all mankind."
Links
Official website of the documentary "Orphans of Apollo" by Michael Potter
Book entitled "Selling Peace" By Jeffrey Manber, President of MirCorp
Tell me what you think, and please leave a comment! =)
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1 Comment
Reader Comments (1)
For me Space tourism will only born when the private companies like Virgin Galactic will start offering seats which is well within budget of thousands of people.