The idea for Cindy Cashman's wedding came to her out of thin air, so, naturally, that's where she and her fiancé, Mitch Walling, will do the deed. If all proceeds as expected, Cashman and Walling will travel to Oklahoma in a couple of years, board a private aircraft operated by space tourism company Rocketplane Inc. and become the first couple to be married in space.
As Cashman points out, they met in cyberspace. And who hasn't wanted to shoot his or her new spouse into space now and then anyway?
This is what Cashman and Walling expect will happen:
The Rocketplane XP takes off from the spaceport like a normal jet. After ascending for about 15 minutes to 40,000 feet, the pilot lights the rocket engine and pulls the craft into a steep, nearly vertical climb for a little more than a minute, speeding into the suborbital atmosphere at more than 3,500 feet per second. Once the engine is cut, at more than 300,000 feet, Cashman and Waller are weightless, a sensation many a bride and groom have reported.
An officiant will be on hand as well as a videographer, possibly from a reality show. (Yes, they're looking to make a big deal out of this.) Then they'll have roughly four minutes of weightlessness to look out the window and generally congratulate themselves on having the awesomest wedding ever.
You can track the couple's progress at www.firstspacewedding.com.
Link & Image: Statesman
Tags: Wedding | Space
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