Space tourism spinoffs

Relevance: Space tourism is gaining popularity in the field of Space.

Synopsis:

The entry of the private sector into the space race brings new dimensions to the monetization of space technology.

Private space tourism projects:

Three important private organisations (Virgin Galactic, Blue Origin, and SpaceX) made huge investments in space projects.

• Recently VSS Unity spaceship, with six people on board, recently took off from New Mexico and reached an altitude of 85 km from Earth before returning.
• Amazon founder’s space company named Blue Origin has recently concluded the online auction for the first seat on the New Shephard rocket system.
• SpaceX even aims to go to Mars. SpaceX rockets already supply the International Space Station (ISS) and carry crew to and fro from that facility.

The future of space tourism:

Space tourism could soon be an option for the well-heeled adventure tourist. For instance, Virgin Galactic has received over 500 advance bookings at $250,000 per seat on the VSS Unity.

For comparison, people pay $50,000 to climb Everest in package tours, alongside trainers, and dedicated teams of Sherpa.

Preparation for space tourists:

• Passengers must be cushioned and protected from high acceleration during the travel period and during the landing.
• The cabin must be pressurized, and all furniture secured to handle weightlessness.
• Insulation is required to protect the craft from heat generated by friction.

Advantages of Space tourism missions:

• The materials used, and the design elements, could be incorporated in safety equipment in cars and bullet trains.
• Another set of positive consequences may be the clean-up of space debris. The Space Registration Convention of 1976 and the recent Artemis Accords suggest clearing up space debris. The presence of high net-worth tourists will add a sense of urgency.

Challenges with the entry of private players:

• Private entities tend to be focused on very specific technologies, which have visible payoffs within the foreseeable future.
  • Development in many areas ranging from modern communications, and geo-location systems, to renewable energy usage, weather prediction, etc. are the result of publicly-funded national space agencies that did not look for immediate payoffs.