11/05/2009

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First They Killed My Father

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Ask Sassy

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Football team prepares for final game

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Michigan Tech Lode

First space hotel expected by 2012 November 5, 2009

Serving the Michigan Tech Community Since 1921

GS Spacecraft and GS Spaceresort: This could be the world’s first space hotel with a six ’bedroom’ orbital resort that will take guests around the world in 80 minutes at a distance of 400km. Photo courtesy of flickr.com

CRYSTAL HIGGINBOTHAM

News Editor

G

alactic Suite Ltd is the company behind the plans to launch the first hotel in space. Starting up in 2007, Galactic Suite Ltd—a private space tourism company—aims to build and develop concepts to space tourism. According to Reuters’ reports, Galactic Suites is still on target to open for business in 2012. Guests will be charged $4.4 million dollars for a three-night space experience

at the hotel and will include an eight-week training course on a tropical island [not in space]. However, guests can only catch a ride to Galactic Suits with British tycoon Richard Branson’s space tours firm, Virgin Galactic, at a cost of $200,000 a ride. Galactic Suites Web site (http://www. galacticsuite.com) claims during the guests stay at the first space resort, they will see the sun rise 15 times a day and travel around the world every 80 minutes orbiting the Earth at an average speed of 30,000 km/h (18,641 mph) in a spaceship that can accommodate

WHSA reaches out to the community TARA SOTRIN Lode Writer An excited crowd gathered in front of the Walker Building last Thursday to watch three rare birds of prey swoop overhead. The crowd itself included some local elementary, middle, and high school students bused in from their respective schools to watch and learn about some fearsome predators. The “Whoo’s in Houghton” presentation was part of the Upper Peninsula Raptor Rehab and Wildlife Centers’ program to educate students of many ages about birds of prey and their rehabilitation. The Wadsworth Hall Student Association (WHSA) organized the event, staffed the Rehabilitation Centers’ sales table, and in-

vited several of the local schools to attend as well as DNR Education and Outreach Specialist Tim Burke, and representatives from the School of Forest Resources and Environmental Sciences. “I found out about their program over the summer while working in Baraga” says WHSA program coordinator Rebecca Prich, “I thought it would be a great program to bring to Tech: its’ educational, social, and gives us a chance to volunteer.” The opportunity to help out a program like the Raptor Rehabilitation Center was especially appealing to the purpose of the WHSA: to provide “opportunities for community and personal development”. “The center really isn’t that old, only like six years or something like that” See WHSA on 2A

up to four guests and two astronaut pilots. The suite project consists of three pillars: GS [Galactic Suite] Spaceport, GS Spaceship, and GS Spaceresort. The GS Spaceport will be located on an exclusive tropical island to service space ships and to monitor the space resort, which will include restaurants, sports and beach facilities, electrical car parking and much more. GS Spaceship will carry four passengers and two pilot astronauts into an altitude of 400km using a double hybrid rocket engine (DHRE). The final

Even though the economy has taken a hit, and Michigan Tech tuition has increased for the sixth year in a row, demand in this opportunity is extremely high. According to the Reuters article, more than 200 people have inquired about this extravagant space hotel experience, and approximately 43 people have already reserved. If you are interested in forming a trip to the space hotel in 2012, please visit the Galactic Suites Web Site http://www.galacticsuite.com for more information.

Man publicly exhibits suicidal tendencies KAYLA HERRERA Editor In Chief On the night of Wednesday, Oct. 28, a man turned to suicidal thoughts as a means of escape while traversing through an inebriated escapade. The man, name undisclosed, was allegedly kicked out of the bar, Uphill 41, lo-

cated in downtown Hancock. “He was really drunk and just climbed the ladder on to the Gartner’s building,” said a bystander. Authorities surrounded the area and attempted to cooperate with the man as he stood on the ladder with his back to the building, facing downward. As inquisitive onlookers watched with mouths agape, the man backed off of

the ladder and paced back and forth on the roof. Finally, after several attempts to coax the man off of the roof, firemen were successful in removing the man. “They had his feet zip-tied together and had him facefirst on the gurney,” said Andrew Summerhill, a Michigan Tech student living nearby. “They had to lean on him just to strap him down.”

The Michigan Tech Counseling and Wellness Services is available Monday Friday, 8:00 a.m.- 5:00 p.m. Call 906-487-2538 for more information.

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pillar, the GS Spaceresort will “be a bio-inspired orbital station, designed to be modular space habitat structure with a central enclosed area from which modules will be interconnected to the docking port.” Each of the modules will be equipped with a “slideable diaphragm window to enhance” the views of Earth. (http://www.galacticsuite.com) Reuters reports that Galactic Suite Ltd’s CEO Xavier Claramunt stated that, “It’s very normal to think that your children, possibly within 15 years, could spend a weekend in space.”

Check it all out at: www.mtulode.com Sports

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Check out the thoughts of one international student in the “Culture Shock Report #9.”


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