He had never received the memo saying you were not supposed to eat the day before space flight training, Ashton Kutcher explains Ellen Degeneres in her talkshow. So he had shown up with a full stomach, which was emptied soon enough. ‘And when you’re in zero G the vomit kind of stays with you too.’

By Marcella Das

The sky is the limit. A well-known saying often cited by celebrities as a figurative explanation for their taste for luxury, wealth and extremities. However, it won’t be long until it is used in a literal way. And then the sky won’t be longer the limit. Next to Kutcher also notables like Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks, Kate Perry, Justin Bieber and Brad & Angelina have already booked their tickets into space aboard of Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo.

Gravity
Opera singer Sarah Brightman who calls herself a ‘dreamchaser’ - like one of her albums, which in turn is named after a space ship called Dream Chaser - even wants to be the first singer in space and will travel to the international space station ISS for ten days. The relentless enthusiasm is not just reserved for celebrities. Last year a couple of fans were willing to pay $ 3.8 million at a charity auction to accompany DiCaprio on his flight by sitting right next to him.

Obviously, travelling on a space rocket isn’t quite the same as hopping on a train. Even a bumpy turbulent flight on an airplane and the inconveniences that go hand in hand with it are nothing compared to the g-forces you experience on a space flight. Firstly you’ll deal with gravity in a way you never did before. Secondly you’re weightless. And last but not least: the space ship is all but sit back and relax. So if you don’t want to see too much of your last night’s meal floating by, a good preparation is no frivolous luxury.

Training
On a physical level parabolic flights are a good way to get used to moving in a context where you’re totally weightless. You’ll board on a regular airplane that will quickly move up and down to give you this experience. The preparation is meant to make you enjoy as much as possible of the actual flight into space. To optimize your outer space experience even more, you can also attend a mind training that prepares for the mental and emotional challenges off the different flight stages and teaches you how to deal with the other passengers. In return it promises you to be completely in the zone and focused when you’re actually out there.

It may be clear by now that it’s all not a quick fix but hey, nothing good comes easy. And let this be a comfort: ‘Out of the twelve times I vomited five of them were great’, Kutcher assures.