Singing Sensation Heads To Space

Singer Sarah Brightman, known for her roles in The Phantom of the Opera and as the ex-wife of Broadway legend Andrew Lloyd Weber, booked a trip to space with a private touring company. Brightman is a spokesperson for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). She believes her trip to space will encourage women's education in the sciences and environmental awareness. The price tag for her trip is "tens of millions of dollars."

Christa McAuliffe

Space tourism is a growing field as as people expand their interests in pioneering beyond Earth's atmosphere.  With Brightman's announcement as an upcoming space tourist, SBW is reminded of Christa McAuliffe, the first non-astronaut to travel in space. McAuliffe was a part of NASA's Teacher in Space Program. She faced a premature death on January 8, 1986, when her aircraft the Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart and disintegrated 73 seconds into its flight killing all seven of its crew members.