Space Tourism?

Cave_Monster wonders: "With the successful return to earth by Gregory Olson, the US businessman who allegedly paid around £11m for his trip, what are people's thoughts on continuing with this trend? It is definately favourable towards generating extra funds for space programs, and with Mr. Olson preferring to be labeled as a 'flight participant' rather than a tourist, it definately begs the question as to how much input can these paying people have in space research? Experiments that he participated in included further investigation into how the human body deals with weightlessness and the possible causes to lower back pain and nausea, yet are these activities simply carried out so as to 'entertain' or is there real scientific purpose behind them? With the next 'tourist' expected to be Japanese businessman Daisuke Enomoto, should paying people have a real scientific background or is money simply enough?"

Comments

DISGUSTED!

[koamana]

I am so disgusted with the thought of someone spending $20 Million on HIMSELF! When there are so many people in our country in need. This disgusts me on how the media portrays this as a luxury when it should portray this as a SHAME! How can anyone with that much money think of nothing else but spending it on HIMSELF! $20 Million will go a long way helping people in poverty, single moms, homeless, etc. Excuse me, but I really don't want to hear the privileged talking about going to work, get off drugs and welfare, etc, because the reality is, there are way too many WORKING POOR! This is a real problem in our country and the media glamorizing this extravagence disgusts me, as it should any socially conscious person in the civilized world!

Re:DISGUSTED!

[koamana]

HaHaHa, money goes "maybe" to the Russian economy!? Sounds like you are smoking something! As a matter of fact, sounds like you are out of touch! Your comments sound like a recording of Rush and the Republican Party. Give me a break. I spend money on myself like the rest of the world, to survive. I wouldn't spend it on getting blasted out of this world, FOR FUN! $20 M on myself?! No wonder much of the world hates Americans! It is not the American ideas they hate, it is the self-indulgence. The over-indulgence. The, it's all about me attitude! Just stop and think for just a small, self-indulgent, minute. How many people could $20 M help in OUR country? Forget helping the Russiona economy!!!! Help OUR American citizens!!! Oh yeah, he would get a tax break to boot. How often do celebrities get publicity for donating a few hundred thousand dollars. Big deal! They probably get a tax break on the total anyway. It is the hard working middle class population that gives taxes, gives donations to the relief funds, gives to car washes, gives to schools fund raisers, gives, gives, gives. When I hear of a single person spending $20 M on himself simply to brag about being blasted to outer space, it bogles my mind on the self-indulgent attitude people have. Yeah, yeah, yeah, he probably gave $20 zillion to charity. Yeah Right!

Re:Fly me to the Moon...

[tgma]

A lot of the Russian money for the ISS has been siphoned out by Moscow bureaucrats, and the Russians are begging the US for extra funding. I don't think the US is that behind in its commitments - the articles I have read suggest that the Russians are behind. My guess is (based on plenty of direct experience of Russian industry and project management) that the Russian manufacturers have not seen any of the money allocated for the project, because it's been diverted to various consultancy companies and agencies. So the Russians can't deliver, because they can't buy material and parts, and the money has disappeared, so they are looking for other funding sources.

Re:In a capitalist society... A lottery is better

[shanen]

I don't argue with fools. I don't even encourage them to waste their time studying math. I just ask them to mark me as a foe, and we can happily ignore eath other forever.