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

Fly me to the Moon...

[Doc Ruby]

If the space program can accomodate it and want the extra money, the extra passengers need contribute nothing more than money to the mission. If they meet the requirements of any other tasks in the mission, perhaps they should get a discount, or extra charges for the "extra fun". Whichever the mission planners can accomodate and negotiate. The exciting news is that we've reached a stage of space industry development where we have enough "discretionary resources" and minimized risks that we have the flexibility to engage in substantial nonessential mission components. Which means frivilous Moon trips are now in sight.

Funding

[ozTravman]

Space travel is expensive. No space agency has all the money they need to accomplish their goals. We no longer have the public support we had in the 60's so private enterprise is required to help send us further. If the revenue from these tourists helps fund further space missions then it is justified.

Is money enough? What?

[LeonGeeste]

Do we make sure anyone who wants to bankroll the first commercial car knows enough about cars' scientific purposes before we deign to allow him to use one?

Of course you should "let" rich people buy access that later funds democratization of the new technology.

Tickets to space

[Nerdposeur]

Should paying people have a real scientific background or is money simply enough?

That should be up to whoever is behind the trip. Maybe if the tourists are completely useless, they'll have to pay more to make up for their dead weight. But we're not talking about buying your way into heaven or something. Sure, traveling to the moon was a big step for mankind, and it takes on mythic, almost religious significance for us for someone to go into space. But bottom line, it's just a new place we can go.

If you've got a rocket and I've got a sack of cash, why shouldn't we be able to make an arrangement? You can't do your science without funding anyway. There's no need to be elitist.

Why money is enough

[G4from128k]

Anything that gets more people excited by space and space travel is good. Space needs better marketing -- yet another scientific experiment in space doesn't capture the imagination. But marketing is expensive unless you can get free publicity -- I can't see Congress giving NASA the OK to put on a $100 million ad campaign.

If letting a space tourist go up can attract media attention, then that's great. Its even nice that the customer pays the organization to create good marketing for the organization.

Besides, I'd bet the economics of space flight are such that the cost of filling an empty seat aren't that high. The average cost of putting a pound into orbit may be extremely high, but the cost of adding another pound of person and supplies is probably not bad. It's like the airlines -- if you're going to fly anyway, why not fill every seat.

Creating the idea that space is accessible to an increasing number of people -- not just a few astronauts that spent their life in the program -- is the key to the future of space funding.

Re:Cheaper than a taxi ride.

[CDS]

(I couldn't find the pound thingy on my keyboard so I typed $)

Here ya go. I included a few extras for the next time you need them...

£ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £

Hope that helps.

Re:Why should it be surprise?

[eobanb]

allow you to join the mile high club for 5 or 10k dollars

I don't think 'mile high club' means what you think it means.

Re:DISGUSTED!

[shmlco]

What are you smoking? So he pays $20M. That money goes, maybe, to buy boosters, which PEOPLE at some company make. They take home their booster paychecks. Buy clothes and food at the store. Store people have jobs. People who supply the clothes and food have jobs. They buy cars. Car peopl have jobs. And so on.

It's not as if he handed someone a check for $20M and they shredded it right there. Same for ANY luxury item. People make 'em. Others sell 'em. People supply materials to make them and they get paid. Other people supply the suppliers and they get paid.

I suppose you yourself live in a one room hovel, and own no car, computer, cell phone, ipod/cd player, television, books, music, DVDs, extra clothes or shoes. Never eat out. Never see a movie.

If not, then for shame. Why are you spending money on yourself?