Press Release

Space Island Group and RIT join forces to create a commercial space program.

Posted on Feb 16, 2001

West Covina, CA -- Space Island Group, leading developer of the world's first commercial space station, and Rochester Institute of Technology, one of the nation's leading Universities in Hospitality and Service Management, have begun a relationship that both hope will lead to the development, construction and operation of the world's first privately built space station.

Following three days of presentations and meetings with RIT officials February 5-7, SIG President Gene Meyers and Dr. Francis Domoy, Chair of RIT's Hospitality and Service Management Department, jointly announced a plan to explore cooperative relationships that will lead to the realization of the dream of common people living and working in space.

SIG and RIT have agreed to work together to accelerate technical and career advancements in preparation for an operating commercial space station by the end of this decade.

Remanufacturing Engineering and Research
Redesign of Space Shuttle and External Fuel Tank
Space Tourism Development
Career Education (Seeking new areas of training and coursework)
Space Living Environment Research

"The Space Island Project is the plan that makes the most rational and economic sense of any commercial space development I've seen," said Domoy"We have the resources at RIT to provide both career training and technical development for such a space community.We hope to contribute tremendously to this very viable effort."

Meyers echoed that theme, saying, "Space Island Group has a vision that is not only practical, but well within reach during this decade. "I look forward to expanding our relationship with RIT in a way that will not only encourage, but in a very real way make the commercial settlement of space a reality I this decade." said Meyers.

The Space Island concept employs an idea originally detailed by NASA ďż˝ using the Space Shuttle's gigantic external fuel tank as a space station module. "We plan to modify the External Tank to accommodate astronauts and space-based functions like commerce, research, satellite repair, manufacturing, tourism and many other uses," said Meyers.

Meyers will also ask Congress and NASA this spring to permit access to the design plans for the External Tank so they can be modified for Space Island passengers. He will also ask for the lease of several Space Shuttle Flights in 2004-5 to launch the first few modified External Tanks until Space Island's new redesigned Shuttle are operational.

Meyers plans to propose a joint venture with the divisions within the companies who make of the Shuttle (Boeing) and External Tank (Lockheed-Martin), or outright purchase of the divisions.

"NASA will not be building any more Shuttles, nor will they buy any more External Tanks than those already planned," noted Meyers."It makes perfect sense to let the private sector take advantage of those existing technologies and production plants, modify them, and build a commercial space station."

Rochester Institute of Technology

BACKGROUND

Rochester Institute of Technology's 108-year-old hospitality and service management department, one of the first in the nation, offers undergraduate degrees in food management, food marketing and distribution, hotel and resort management, nutrition management and travel and tourism management. Part of RIT's College of Applied Science and Technology, the department offers graduate degrees in career and human resource development, health systems administration, hospitality-tourism management, instructional technology and service management.

RIT has the world's only university-level course in Space Tourism Development and is one of few universities where travel and tourism management students learn using a computerized reservation and accounting system designed by American Airlines. Students also train in a student-run, full-service restaurant and use state-of-the-art equipment and laboratories including a food lab for developing and evaluating new food products and equipment. RIT's hospitality and service management department enrolls 967 students, including those studying hotel and resort management in Croatia.

Founded in 1829 and located in western New York State, Rochester Institute of Technology is internationally recognized as a leader in engineering, imaging, technology, fine and applied arts, and education for the deaf. RIT enrolls 14,500 students in more than 240 undergraduates and graduate programs.

For the past decade, U.S. News and World Report has ranked RIT as one of the nation's leading comprehensive universities. RIT is also included in Yahoo! Internet Life's Top 100 Wired Universities, Fisk's Guide to America's Best Colleges and Barron's Best Buys in Education.

Press Please Contact
John Hanks - Director of Communications
Space Island Group
2490 Marlene Way
Henderson, Nevada 89014
702-261-0552

E-mail: john@johnhanks.com