Will space tourism take off in the near future? Will it be a profitable industry? I believe so with so much time and money being invested in the development of space crafts such as the Virgin Galactic 2 Space Ship 2 and the White Night 2. Space tourism is already stirring up excitement, according to Amy "Virgin Galactic has received deposits from almost 700 people who hope to visit space in the near future".
At the mean time thrill seekers can experience zero-gravity thanks to a modified Boeing 727-200. For a starting price of 4,950 dollars adrenaline junkies can experience weightlessness. That's pocket change compared to 20-40 million dollars for a 10 day space tour by Space Adventures. The tour takes you to an altitude of 250 miles on your way to the International Space Station (ISS). During the tour individuals will live and work along astronauts, sounds like a great get away but most people can't afford a plane ticket yet alone a space expedition. The most expensive trip of them all is the 300 million dollar circumlunar mission which takes thrill seekers within 100 kilometers or 62.17 miles of the moons surface. The majority of us here in the United States don't have to worry about that, simply because we don't have that kind of money.
I do believe that space tourism is going to be a very profitable and viable industry, even though it is going to remain very expensive. Space tourism was created for the upper class, and wealthy individuals wanting to experience something new and very unique. For example Virgin Atlantic has received over 700 deposits, and that number is only going to increase. I think that space tourism is going to be very successful in the near future however it's going to remain a very small and private industry.
Amey K. (2015, April 28). Orbital cruise ships, $300million moon tours... and cosmic martini glasses so you don't lose your drink: How travel companies are gearing up for a tourism boom in SPACE. Retrieved September 29, 2015, from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-3057420/Is-future-space-tourism.html
Great response I didn't think of the zero gravity flights. Comparing those flights to the space tourism is another good point and yes the cost is chump change to space tourism. 4,950 dollars is still a lot of money for middle and lower class which expresses that going to space tourism will cost a lot more and will definitely be for the wealthy.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about space tourism for the upper class and wealthy people. Thats reason I believe it wont ever be a popular thing among the population.
ReplyDeleteThe whole concept of zero gravity flight is really interesting. I was able to see a video of astronauts in training flying around in zero gravity but I didn’t know that civilians could do it. I will be interesting seeing the competition between different companies and the ideas they will come up with to satisfy customers. I agree that it will be an expensive industry and probably a one in a lifetime thing for most people.
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