One day in April of 2001, A wealthy entrepreneur named Dennis Tito strapped himself into a cramped Soyuz space capsule with two Russian Cosmonauts. The lifted off, and two days later made rendezvous with the International Space Station. He made history as the first private, paying customer to ride into space, plunking down 20 million for the experience. He had to train for several months alongside other Cosmonauts. NASA was initially opposed to it, and only relented at the last moment. But the stage was set, and six other passengers went, each paying enormous sums for the experience.
Where we are today
Now here we are in 2011. NASA has been overseeing a program called COTS This is essentially funding private companies, giving them a hand to build space vehicles to ferry passengers to the ISS, and to perform other routine space tasks. Several companies have announced plans to take passengers up, from suborbital flights all the way to a lunar orbit mission. Space Adventures, the one that started it all with Dennis Tito back in 2001, is offering a full range of options. Other companies, like SpaceX, have plans drawn up to offer passenger flights in the future. Virgin Galactic has constructed it’s suborbital “mothership” and is working on a passenger module. The passenger ship will detach from the mothership, and rocket up to the edge of space, offering passengers a brief weightless experience. There are some options presently for passengers, but we have a long way to go.
What about tomorrow
If one could believe in every gorgeous airbrushed artwork floating around these days, a relaxing trip to a luxurious space colony is right around the corner. Designs have been floated for private space stations , moonbases and the like. But the reality is that money is needed to make things fly. Or as they said in a popular movie, “no bucks, no buck rogers!” Now there is enough enthusiasm out there among well-heeled clients and businesspeople that there will certainly be some kind of private space travel available. But it will be limited to a few very wealthy players. Space in our children's and grandchildren's day will likely remain the domain of researchers and governments, with relatively few tourists along for the ride.
Breakthroughs
If there were an order-of-magnitude breakthrough comparable say, to the first steam engines being used in place of sail/wind power, this could spur tourism significantly. Research is being done by NASA and others into nuclear propulsion and some other exotic technologies.
Getting off the Earth and into space remains a huge cost. If and when a space elevator could be built, this would render trips to an orbital hotel simple and relatively cheap. Then it would merely be a matter of an exploratory craft needing enough propellant to get to a further point out in space, and back. Many exciting things are or have been designed – in principle. But hardware needs to be constructed, and that costs lots of money. Enough people (and governments) are going to have to deem it desirable to build the technologies to get people out into the Solar System easier and cheaper. And then, someday, one of our ancestors will be able to purchase that ticket up to the Moon Resort, and make that trip in safety and comfort. Until then, we have work to do.
A few tickets are available, and more will be soon. Keep the faith, and someday you, too, can take that trip up to the heavens – even if they are close-to-Earth heavens. Within ten years there should be several vehicles operating, from companies like SpaceX, Virgin Galactic, and Reaction Engines (working on the Skylon spaceplane).
Be assured, it is coming… Just a little more patience and our ride into orbit will arrive.
Related links:
Spacex.com
VirginGalactic.com
ReactionEngines.co.uk
Mike Wilson - I have been writing short stories, poetry and the occasional article for several years now. My focus has been on science fiction, but am ...
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