How Space Tourism Will Change the Future – Reader’s Digest

We're not too far away from a future where anyone can travel to outer space. In fact, some space tourism companies will allow you to experience that final frontier right nowfor a cost.

With the rapid growth of space tourism, traveling to outer space could soon be as easy as booking a flight to Europe. Experts even say that in just a matter of years, this industry could change the world, much like other NASA inventions, including real-life robots.

When aviation started [in the mid-1900s] it was for governments and those who could afford it, says Jane Poynter, founder and co-CEO of space tourism company Space Perspective. People then could not imagine the myriad ways air travel would be used to positively impact billions of peoples lives. The same can be said for the future of space tourism, according to Poynter.

Curious to learn more about space tourismand maybe even try it for yourself in real life, not just the metaverse? Heres everything you need to know about how space tourism works, the pros and cons of space travel, and what is expected to come for the space tourism industry.

Space travel is defined as any air travel beyond 50 or 60 miles above sea level. But experts disagree over exactly how far space is from the Earth. While many international organizations consider the Krmn linewhich is 60 miles highto be the edge of the Earths atmosphere, the FAA and NASA define everything above 50 miles to be outer space.

When booking space tours, companies offer either orbital or suborbital flights.

There is one universal reason often cited by people who want to go to space. Seeing the iconic thin blue line of our planets atmosphere against the stark blackness of space affects [astronauts] deeply, Poynter says. This quintessential astronaut experience is why most people want to travel to space. Just imagine all the things you can see from space, including capturing incredible pictures of city lights from above.

Astronauts describe it as personally transformational and say that when they return, they are compelled to get more involved in social and environmental causes, Poynter continues. Imagine thousands of people having that experience. It will have a ripple effect across society. Even if you cant make it on a spacecraft right now, you can still check out one of the best virtual space exhibits in the world without getting off your couch.

Russias Soyuz spacecraft has been ferrying private citizens to the ISS since 2001, at a reported cost of $90 million for a seat. Now, thanks to newly emerging U.S. space tourism companies, it will soon be possible to join the exclusive club of those who have traveled to spacethat is, for anyone who can afford the still very steep ticket price.

For those seeking a less expensivealbeit still very priceyoption, other companies offer zero-pressure balloons that will take tourists to an altitude of up to 20 miles, which is high enough to see the curvature of the Earth. Rides on Space Perspectives balloon, called Spaceship Neptune, cost $125,000 per seat. World View charges $50,000 per seat.

These trips will last for six to eight hours and even include dining services, cocktails and music in a sleek lounge. Heads up: You probably wont be able to eat these foods that are banned from space during the ride.

Both companies have flights scheduled to launch in 2024, but neither has been approved by the FAA yet.

If youre not ready to blast through the Earths upper atmosphere, you can still experience space travel with less risk. Companies like Zero G recreate the feeling of zero gravity on specially modified Boeing 727 flights. These experiences are also easier on the wallet, going for around $8,200.

Taking a flight into space will require some training, but the programs are less rigorous than those faced by real astronauts. To prep for Virgin Galactics three-hour trips, for example, tourists will be required to attend a multi-day training program with pilot briefings and spacesuit fittings. Trips on zero-pressure balloons will require a simple informational and safety course.

Among space enthusiasts and experts alike, space tourism opinions are varied.

However, Poynter argues that not all space travel is environmentally harmful. She notes that Space Perspectives Spaceship Neptune is the only zero-emissions, carbon-neutral spacecraft, and Space Perspective is a carbon-neutral company.

When it comes to the future of space tourism, the skys the limitliterally. We are at the very beginning of space travel, Poynter says. We simply cannot imagine now the ways people will use spaceflight to improve life right here on Earth, close to home at first and increasingly farther out into our solar system.

Experts predict that travelers might want to stay and live in space, and many companies have launched plans to build properties and accommodations for space tourists to spend the night. Some of these space hotels will even have offices and research spaces for rent, opening up the possibility of working from space as well.

Whats more, space tourism programs can also encourage further innovation and exploration of our solar system and beyond. Taking more people into space creates opportunities to invent new space technology, conduct groundbreaking research and establish new frontiers in galaxies beyond our own. And thats just the startin fact, scientists have already made these 12 amazing space discoveries in the last decade.

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How Space Tourism Will Change the Future - Reader's Digest