When space enthusiasts boldly go where no tourists have gone before, the Andrews Institute in Gulf Breeze plans to go along for the ride.

On Thursday, state and Institute officials announced a plan to create a first-of-its-kind program for prospective passengers in the newly emerging space tourism industry.

“This really is an opportunity to look through the window and out into the future, and the future is right here in West Florida,” said Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp, speaking at the Andrews Institute.

The program, known as Project Odyssey, would provide health screening, training and preparation to individuals holding a ticket to space.

The institute received a $500,000 grant to launch the partnership between Andrews, Space Florida, and local military bases.

Potential space tourists can start arranging training immediately, said Dr. Joe Story, chairman of the Andrews Institute’s surgery center.

The center will do heart tests and other screenings to ensure people can withstand the G forces and other stresses of space flight, he said.

“We want to give them injury prevention and some of the things we do with our most elite athletes,” he said.

Steve Kohler, president of Space Florida, the agency in charge of promoting the space industry in the state, said space travel is becoming an increasingly commercial enterprise.

“We know that the number of companies that are actively pursuing space-based tourism are starting to grow,” Kohler said.

Kohler said that currently, several thousand potential customers have expressed interest in buying a ticket to space.

Experts estimate that within the next 10 years, an estimated 10,000 to 13,000 people will be in the market for a journey into Earth’s orbit and beyond.

Two companies are already selling tickets to aspiring space tourists. Prices range from $95,000 to $200,000 for a suborbital fight, and the first flights are expected to begin as early as 2010.

But before the first space tourists can take flight, they will need a variety of health screenings, testing and training to prepare them for their voyage.

Story said that a medical screening would look for major health problems that could disqualify potential passengers, such as heart and lung disease, but it would also aim to prevent more common side effects of space flight.

Ninety percent of space travelers experience some nausea and vertigo, but that could the effects can be minimized with training and medication.

Other space training would include centrifuge rides, which would likely be done at the nearby military bases, Story said.

Project Odyssey officials said they haven’t calculated exactly how much the Florida health screenings would cost and there would be a range of pricing. But Story said the cost would be appropriate for space tourists who have paid “tens of thousands of dollars” to travel into space.

“We’re excited to be a part of this whole new adventure in space,” Story said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.