What do you think about space tourism?

Question

With the success of the X-program to show that commercial space flights are feasible and with New Mexico planning on building a space port, how much demand do you believe there will really be? Will it be too expensive, or will it eventually become common?

Umm, Granddad, you may need to lay off the sci-fi channel, just a thought.

I just realized I goofed, its was the X-prize not the X-project. Suprised someone didn't catch that.

Since I have received some flak about "granddads" answer and my initial response let me just say that

A. What he says is a possibility sure, alot of Sci-Fiction tech has come to pass.

B. My question dealt with mainly the next 50 yrs and the technology that we presently have and will be seen in my lifetime. He dealt with something that unless they have a major breakthrough, I will probably never see.

C. It was a joke, my response was meant to be funny.

Oh well.

Answer 1

The success of the X-Prize shows that there is a solid commercial interest in space travel. The biggest problem facing the space program in recent years has been a lack of support, so the overwhelming response by the commercial world and the public to the whole idea of space tourism brings hope that space exploration will now gain the support it needs to become the scientific boomtown it used to be.
The US space program has, in the past, led to a wide variety of advances, in everything from medical technology to velcro. The whiners who are complaining about "wasting" our tax money on space tourism need to step back and realize that 1) the money they're whining about isn't tax money, it's corporate funds; 2) the research beeing conducted is extremely likely to be of widespread benefit too all areas of the economy and our daily lives, just as space research always has; and 3) the subsidies they're calling for are useless gestures which only serve to make the rich richer and keep the ignorant from feeling too bad about themselves.
Now, as to the future, I think the advent of space tourism is a positive step, but only a step. It will take a great deal of time and effort to get any direct benefit from these ventures. In the meantime, I anticipate a great deal of indirect benefit.

Answer 2

te Similar to what was said about Airline Passenger Travel 100 Years ago. I'm all for it. Beyond that, I'd like to see the UN placed in Orbit, on it's own Space Station. Nations that Despise and wish to Eliminate One Another would then See the Earth for what it is, and the Insanity of Tribal Warfare in the 21st. Century. If the Instigators on both Sides of the latest Flare-Up of the latest Middle East Conflict were in Orbit, perhaps with a new understanding of just how tiny and fragile the Earth is, their Misunderstanding would soon be resolved. Space Tourism just might be a S

Answer 3

I think initially the demand will be low because it will be very expensive. It will boil down to the affordability more than anything else. This was exactly the case when commercial aviation first came to be. Only the rich could afford the price tag of flying.

Commercial space travel has few more plus points. Compared to today's Air travel, the future scenario may be slightly different, in that the Space tourism could also provide certain educational benefits. Even if you could not justify the exensive seat on the next commercial shuttle going out to outer space from a tourist point of view, you could probably justify it from a purely educational point of view. A field trip for example, which would allow you to go up in space and conduct a few scientific eperiments which would not be possible here on earth. Perhaps we could have permanent Universities in Space. This would certainly justify the cost. And let us say that you could not pay for your trip, you could still go to a bank and apply for a Space-age student loan. Who can say, you know!

I see a tremendous potential in the commercialized space travel. And it is not unusual for it to happen some day. Whatever a human mind is capable of thinking, the human has a way of making happen. I do have faith in the human spirit and I believe that one day this too shall become a reality. We are not far away from it. I know that if it happens during my life time, I would do anything to experience it.

Answer 4

What a great question! I think it's awesome! The X-Prize is going to catapult new inventions & technology, taking us into a frontier we never imagined. It is certainly feasible, because they put their theories to the test. The X-Prize will draw as much sensation as the Concorde did. Currently, the demand will come from the very wealthy, just as the Concorde did. The only possible way others (meaning those who are not wealthy) could qualify for this space venture is to offer incentives or flight scholarships to those in the aerodynamic field. I don't think there will be affordable flights for us "have-nots" anytime soon. My prediction is that it will be commonplace eventually, but certainly not anytime soon.

I kept a close eye on this whole process. I was so delighted to know the individual responsible for this invention. Burt Rutan is from my home town & was a neighbor for many years. I remember I was just out of high school when he grabbed the attention of the town by designing the Voyager & SpaceShipOne(among other things).

His brother Dick and another pilot flew the glider around the world. What an amazing feat to fly a glider around the world. When they finally finished their flight, they landed out in the desert where everyone was waiting for them. Instead of scrambling to get out of the plane, the pilots circled slowly several times so that everyone could take pictures and enjoy the sight of this aircraft. I thought this was very gracious, considering they'd been in that plane non stop!

I know this has nothing to do with your question, but I just think it's so cool that this guy was a part of our community. These two guys are so modest & understated. They carry no arrogance with them.

Answer 5

It is necessary to define what you mean by "commercial" space flight. Nearly every flight right now IS commercial. (How do you think all those transmition the satelites got there?)

As far as space tourism, people going into space for the sole purpose of doing it, I don't think this will ever be practical from an economic stand point, at least with the technology that we have now and in the conceivable future.

However, I believe that space travel, space colonization, and further manned exploration are all quite feasable, and attainable within fifty years. I also believe that the reason they are attainable is the current privatization of the industry.

Answer 6

Like anything, demand is a matter of price. The standard that most parties seem to agree on is $1,000 per pound or less [1,2]. That would be about a 99% reduction from current space freight costs, but still means that human transportation would cost $150,000 - 200,000. Virgin Galactic, the owner of the space port you mentioned, is currently taking reservations at $200,000. This may be affordable for the rich and famous, but is still several years' salary for the common man.

At lower price points, there appears to be plenty of support, at least hypothetically; as the graph at [3] shows, a cost of $50,000 per person (that's just $250-500 per pound, inflation-adjusted to 1994) would bring in about 1,000,000 space tourists per year. People may say they'd be willing to pony up for the trip, but would there really be that many people with the physical stamina, desire, and means to take such a trip, and could the industry rely on such a flow of customers consistently year after year? I believe they can, because as with any industry, the competitors are looking for ways to improve the experience and introduce new technology. Within a twenty years of the first tourist flights, we may see travellers embarking on multi-day orbital flights, possibly even stopping at a satellite hotel or travelling all the way to the moon.

I absolutely believe that space tourism has a future. America's space program has always been sort of a pet project for the government, with funding coming and going along with public sentiment. NASA had to resort to the publicity stunt of taking a civilian teacher into space, which met with disastrous consequences and has slowed down space exploration to this day. We've already seen more advancement in the past five years through free enterprise than NASA has given us since the Challeger went down, and I only see further achievement in the decades to come.

Answer 7

I think that for many years, it will be extremely cost-prohibitive. Heck, with the high cost of living, most people I know (including myself) don't even have the money to take a short cruise vacation, let alone something like going into space! :( And people seem to be getting poorer, not richer -- at least in the messed-up U.S. economy.

I also think a lot of people will be afraid to try it. The U.S. space program has already lost 2 space shuttles: Challenger and Columbia. Personally, I'd be terrified to take a ride on the space shuttle at the present day. Even if the trip were FREE, I wouldn't go. They almost weren't going to launch the Discovery last week, due to yet again a structural problem.

Anyway, I think that "space tourism" will definitely take place in the future. Whether or not it becomes "popular" is a whole other ballgame. I don't think it will. But then again, who really knows? heh

Answer 8

Many of the Negative Comments Posted are quite Similar to what was said about Airline Passenger Travel 100 Years ago. I'm all for it. Beyond that, I'd like to see the UN placed in Orbit, on it's own Space Station. Nations that Despise and wish to Eliminate One Another would then See the Earth for what it is, and the Insanity of Tribal Warfare in the 21st. Century. If the Instigators on both Sides of the latest Flare-Up of the latest Middle East Conflict were in Orbit, perhaps with a new understanding of just how tiny and fragile the Earth is, their Misunderstanding would soon be resolved. Space Tourism just might be a Step in that Direction !

Answer 9

I live in New Mexico and I think it's awesome!

Yes, there is already high-demand for tickets for a 5 minute jaunt in space, even at the current $200,000 per ticket price tag. There are LOTS of people with plenty of money and interest in doing something never-before acheived.

I couldn't afford it, but I do see other benefits that can affect our great state. The main one is name recognition. In my travels throughout the USA, it still constantly surprises me how many people, including adults, have no idea that New Mexico is actually part of the United States, or even know where it is -- much less knowing anything about the state, its history, culture, landscape, high-tech industry, and the like.

Another thing it will do for us is generate local tourism from all over the world, further pushing our economy. Other businesses are already in the planning stages of building up tons of infrastructure in the area of the spaceport including technology, industry, retail, and more. Even film studios have started building out here. It's booming and can do nothing but good for our economy.

I'm all for it. Bring on the rockets!

Answer 10

i don't care much about space tourism but all i can say is that a civilization restricted to the surface of a single planet has inevitable threats to its long-term existence. Natural threats such as epidemics and impacts from space objects, and man-made threats such as nuclear and biological war, will be joined by new threats from emerging sciences and technologies.

If we have self-sufficient human settlements throughout the solar
system, and access to life support technology on Earth, humankind would have a secure future. A global catastrophe, although terrible, would not end the human species and the potential of a universe filled with intelligent life.
We have a choice between two possible futures: spaceflight or
extinction. To do nothing is a choice for the second future.

Mars, if we don't go, we won't know...

Answer 11

I think space travel will be beyond the reach of common man. It will take over a century to find out a way to make it cheaper>

Using the existing technology it would be difficult for even people going on expensive vacations to think about space travel> they would definitly prefer visiting a paradise like switzerland rather than travel in a vacuum chamber a few miles above the earth"s atmosphere and come back within a day or two. Long distance space travel for the common man cannot be imagined today.

If a radical development is made in space technology, only then we can think about this.