Written By: Tosin Ajogbeje/Date:2021-08-01
Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Richard Branson. Patrick Pluel/Getty; Alex Wong/Getty; Hollis Johnson/Insider
I agree with Science Reporter, Ivan Semeniuk from the Globe and Mail when he says Virgin Galactic sparks a new era for space tourism and exploration. It is no longer news that Billionaire entrepreneur and adventurer Richard Branson recently made history as the first person to successfully fly into orbit on his own spaceship. Amazon Founder Jeff Bezos also made a trip to space with his brother: Mark Bezos; Oliver Daemen, an 18-year-old fresh out of high school; and Wally Funk, an 82-year-old renowned aviator. And this year, Elon Musk is taking part in the space tourism game as he prepares to send four Astronauts to space in one of his SpaceX rockets.
Most people have been dreaming of going into space for a long time. From the exemplary space movies to the space travel books and tv shows, there is no doubt that space travel has become a thing of interest. Experts say that if space travel becomes more affordable with further space exploration and research, then people might just join in the adventure to outer space. But are people ready for this extreme adventure? Supposedly, one can get into space for free by entering a competition to win Virgin Galactic tickets through Omaze.com, and other competitions might also be coming up. But in reality, space tourism is not cheap and an expert predicted that prices for sub-orbital space travel could cost around $100,000 within a decade.
Now, with $100,000 one could travel to possibly 10 countries or more and buy a new property or invest in real estate. Well, what do I know? For example, Oliver Daemen was a last-minute replacement for someone who paid $28 million in an auction for their ticket. His father eventually bought the ticket for a lesser price. This hasn’t stopped people from making reservations to board a spaceship. Around 600 reservations from tourists have been noted by Virgin Galactic, and tickets summing up to $250,000.
As space tourism evolves in the next couple of years, tickets are most likely to reduce to attract more tourists. However, some experts have acknowledged the environmental impact of rocket launches. There are discussions around rocket launches damaging our ozone layer. Because the ozone layer protects us from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays, experts say that further rocket launches might not only be environmentally friendly, but could also lead to climate change.
Of course, the idea of going to space for sightseeing purposes is mind-blowing. According to a CBC article, Marc Boucher the founder and editor-in-chief of SpaceQ Media Inc., an online Canadian space news company based in London, Ontario, disclosed that the new era of tourism could make space science more accessible. I would also add that space science is hotter than ever. Many space experts said that SpaceX’s successful launch to the International Space Station marked a new era of space exploration in 2020. And they weren’t wrong.
With continuous advancement of space exploration, new doors could open for Tourists to visit the Moon and eventually Mars. Although safety requirements and travel procedures need to be put in place for space tourists in the upcoming years.
References
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamiecartereurope/2021/07/19/how-much-is-a-ticket-to-space-100000-if-you-can-wait-a-decade-but-heres-how-to-pay-nothing/?sh=294ec9b5734a
https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/space-race-tourism-three-billionaires-1.6096379
https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2021/07/jeff-bezos-blue-origin-successful-flight/619484/
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-virgin-galactic-flight-signals-new-era-for-space-tourism/
https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-jeff-bezos-branson-spacex-blue-origin-virgin-2021-5