Boris Otter is a Swiss pilot, former professional firefighter and founder of Swiss Space Tourism. In this Astro Ben Podcast interview, Ben Gamble talks with Boris about a lifetime of flying and his plan to reach space. Boris took his first flight at 14, went on to fly a Sukhoi 27 military jet, helicopters, seaplanes, aerobatic aircraft and gyrocopters, and trained as a cosmonaut in Star City. He now leads the SST6 project, a crew of six for a suborbital flight.
The conversation also covers the risks of aviation and space tourism, how Swiss Space Tourism selects its crews, what a seat on Blue Origin, Virgin Galactic or SpaceX could cost, celebrities in space, the overview effect and Boris’s advice for anyone who dreams of going to space.
What you will hear in this episode
Boris’s space origin story, and his first flight at 14
A flying career: Sukhoi 27, helicopters and aerobatics
Seaplanes, gyrocopters and close calls
Safety in aviation and space tourism
Swiss Space Tourism and the SST6 crew
What a ticket to space costs
Celebrities in space
The overview effect
Advice for aspiring space travelers
Follow Boris Otter and Swiss Space Tourism
Swiss Space Tourism | Boris on X | Swiss Space Tourism on Instagram | Boris on LinkedIn
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More episodes: Anatolii Papulov of NewOrbit on Opening Earth’s Lowest Orbit | Skyler Chan of GRU Space | All Astro Ben Podcast episodes
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