What is orbital spaceflight?
When a vehicle traveling in space reaches a balance between the pull of the Earth’s gravity and the velocity of its forward motion, it is said to have achieved orbital flight. For example, orbital velocity at an altitude of 250 miles/402 km is 4.76 miles/7.67 km per second with an Earth orbital period of 92.60 minutes. Space Adventures’ Orbital Flight comprises launching aboard a Russian Soyuz TMA spacecraft to the International Space Station (ISS) for a stay of approximately eight to ten days, roughly 240 miles above the Earth. Then, returning to Earth aboard the Soyuz TMA, landing in the grassy plains of the Central Asian country of Kazakhstan.