The primary goal of space travel has been to explore, discover and report new scientific findings in space. So far, both scientists and astronauts have had the opportunity to enjoy the extraordinary beauty of life beyond Earth. But thanks to space tourism, regular people can now experience going into space.
What Is Space Tourism?
Space tourism is an activity that includes travelling to space for recreational purposes or leisure. It can be divided into three categories: orbital, suborbital, and lunar space tourism. Orbital space tourism necessitates extremely high speeds (17,400 mph) since it involves the rocket orbiting around the Earth. Suborbital is slower, going 3700mph, and it flies directly up into space and immediately goes back down to Earth. For lunar space tourism, the trip involves going to the moon.
Most space tourism companies, such as Virgin Galactic and Jeff Bezos’ (Amazon’s CEO) Blue Origin, offer suborbital spaceflights for paying customers. Meanwhile, SpaceX, a company founded by Elon Musk (Tesla’s founder), focuses on orbital, lunar tourism and trips that go beyond Earth’s orbit. Companies such as Axiom and Boeing are believed to be working on a mission to launch orbital space flights as well.
Accessibility Of Space Tourism
Even though an individual can travel to space, the ticket cost is extremely expensive. In February 2022, Virgin Galactic Flights announced that each ticket will cost about $450,000 (approx. RM2,000,000), which includes a $150,000 (approx. RM668,000) booking deposit. The trip also requires one to be physically fit. Passengers must go through training and fitness programmes before a space flight to ensure their bodies are in the best shape to prevent any major health issues. For now, only individuals who are extremely wealthy can afford to experience space travel.
Space tourism is definitely cutting-edge business that has a bright future.
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