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Private Missions


When the former Soviet Union launched cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin into space in what turned out to be an epic 108-minute Earth orbital flight on April 12,1961, the doors to the Final Frontier were pushed opened. Less than a month later, on May 5, American astronaut Alan Shepard followed, aboard Mercury 3, and the great Space Race was on. People the world over began contemplating humanity's future out there in the great beyond, a future of endless possibilities and prosperity.

Within a few months, a popular animated television show called The Jetsons heralded this future through a modern space-age family that lived out there and cruised around the universe in the coolest of flying skycars. But the promise of that gleaming, automated, fun-filled future up in the great blue yonder has yet to be realized. In fact, because of the expense involved in getting out there, space has primarily been the domain of the American and Russian governments during the last five decades, although in recent years the Europeans and Japan have sent missions to other planetary bodies, and China has put men into orbit, thereby expanding the membership in the exclusive club of space-faring nations.

With the dawn of the 21st century, however, the governments-only club had to open its doors to regular citizens as privately funded missions took flight. In October 2004, Burt Rutan's SpaceShipOne became the first commercial rocket to carry a man into space above the Mojave Desert in California. Less than a year after that, The Planetary Society, with private funding from Cosmos Studios and Planetary Society members, attempted to launch the Cosmos 1 solar sail mission to prove a spacecraft could be powered and propelled by the Sun's rays. The Jetsons' future may still be a long way down the space highway, but these first missions -- funded by private space enthusiasts -- are blazing a trail for citizens everywhere to actually become part of the dream promised more than half a century ago, and to boldly go where only governments have gone before.

The efforts of entrepreneurs and adventurers to realize the dream of private space flight is inspiring a new generation to explore new worlds. Our solar sail is both a venture in space flight to create a new technology for planetary travel and a venture in private space flight whose commercial product is an exciting story to tell the world.

With Special Thanks to Cosmos Studios!

As the major sponsor and partner of Cosmos 1, we thank Cosmos Studios and its founder and CEO, Ann Druyan, for years of financial and inspirational support for this cutting edge project that will pave the way to future travel to the stars.

Your unwavering commitment, and that of Planetary Society Members
around the world, will take our dream of a "first flight with light" to reality.

Together, we will make our way to the stars.

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