What has been called the Fourth Space Age began in approximately 2015 and ran until some time shortly after 2050. (See articles on the First Space Age - c. 1900 to c. 1944, the Second Space Age - c. 1944 to 1957, the Third Space Age - 1957 to 1981, the Third Space Age 1981 to c. 2015 and the Space in the Current Era, beginning c. 2050.) The Fourth Space Age was characterized by primitive nanotechnology, a flowering of non-governmental space activity and a general increase in the amount of both Human and nonhuman activity off Earth. Toward the end of this period, a broadly available, true "space transportation system" developed for biological humans reaching from the surface of Earth out to Mars and many of the asteroids in the Main Belt. Resource and infrastructure development in the latter area especially is seen by most historians as one of the main foundations for the rapid large scale development of the Solar system in the second half of the 21st Century.
The following material comes from a web site maintained by Extro Spacelines, one of the most successful of the carriers during the Fourth Space Age.
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Extro Spaceline's fleet of orbital shuttles is conveniently based at airports around the world. Here you see a departure from Albuquerque. |
With daily non-stop service from 20 airports around North America, earning free trips in our Bucks Rogers program is a snap! |
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Cruise times to our equatorial boost zones are under three hours from all of our convenient points of origin. |
Extro's proven safety record has taken tens of thousands of people for their first trip into space. |
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First-time space travelers will enjoy our award-winning instructional material. |
You'll be thrilled by the smooth, gentle rocket boost that starts at ten thousand meters. Because we take the trip to orbit in easy steps, you'll never feel more then 2.5 Gs |
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Then relax again for the short scram jet ride. |
Watch as the sky turns to a deep purple and the Earth below begins to curve away on every side. |
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After just a few minutes, you'll feel your first taste of real space flight. Don't worry, though: Space sickness is a thing of the past. |
Nausean't, our partner MolMed's patented spacesickness mist, is a proven safeguard against embarrassing moments. |
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Remember when spaceflight was only for rock stars and "Internet Billionaires"? |
In the last 15 years, Extro Spaceways has helped more people like you realize the dream of spaceflight than any other carrier. |
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Business travelers will enjoy the many benefits available under our Bucks Rogers program, including: |
* Free spacesuit rentals at participating "Deep Black" Space Resorts |
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* Reduced rates on lunar shuttle service with participating local carriers |
* Personal concierge service at the Hyatt Tycho and Hyatt Marineris Business Centers |
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* Our award-winning free trip and travel upgrade program |
* Bucks Rogers Elite members earn valuable points in Trans-Man's augmentation program at clinics in the Belt Free States |
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Our main hub is located at Clarktown, where Extro maintains a worlds-class facility for the seasoned space traveler. |
Whether you're spending time in orbit for a relaxing weekend in Zero-G, just passing through, or waiting for your connecting flight, |
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Extro's Clarktown hub has just the right environment for you: |
Bucks Rogers members enjoy free drinks in the quiet, exclusive SkyWays lounge. |
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If you're headed to the Moon, you'll appreciate the quality and comfort of our brand new fleet of XCOR direct-to-surface lunar shuttles. |
Extro Spaceways is proud to offer the only daily nonstop service to destinations at three busy ports on the Moon! |
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We offer complete service for the trip, including every kind of in-flight support for people headed out to make that Big Change! |
Business travelers will find a complete suite of support services on board our lunar shuttles. |
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And if you're in a real hurry, we offer a daily high-boost transit to Armstrong that cuts 32 hours off the service offered by any other carrier! |
Bucks Rogers members earn triple-trip credit on our high-boost lunar service. |
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We've fine-tuned our approach to lunar insertion to offer the most dramatic views of the Moon. |
Every trip on Extro's lunar service is designed to be an enjoyable adventure. |
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Our lunar service has the best safety record in the industry: We've never had a mishap on any of our over ten thousand commercial flights to the moon. | Travelers with special low-G needs can safely use our lunar shuttle: Our lunar insertion never exceeds 1G. |
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Extro Spaceways has the largest gate facilities at Armstrong, ensuring a trouble-free ground connection. | Extro's AI pilots are augmented with the latest upgrades, giving you a smooth ride down to the surface. |
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Bucks Rogers members can reserve priority dispatch for ground travel rentals at all three Extro lunar terminals. | A human Extro agent meets every flight arrival at Armstrong. |
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Whether you're taking your dream vacation on Mars, catching a meeting on the Moon or relocating to live and work in the Asteroid Belt | ... let Extro Spaceways be your ticket to the High Frontier. |
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