What do you think about space tourism?

With the success of the X-program to show that commercial space flights are feasible and with New Mexico planning on building a space port, how much demand do you believe there will really be? Will it be too expensive, or will it eventually become common?

Umm, Granddad, you may need to lay off the sci-fi channel, just a thought.

The success of the X-Prize shows that there is a solid commercial interest in space travel. The biggest problem facing the space program in recent years has been a lack of support, so the overwhelming response by the commercial world and the public to the whole idea of space tourism brings hope that space exploration will now gain the support it needs to become the scientific boomtown it used to be.
The US space program has, in the past, led to a wide variety of advances, in everything from medical technology to velcro. The whiners who are complaining about "wasting" our tax money on space tourism need to step back and realize that 1) the money they're whining about isn't tax money, it's corporate funds; 2) the research beeing conducted is extremely likely to be of widespread benefit too all areas of the economy and our daily lives, just as space research always has; and 3) the subsidies they're calling for are useless gestures which only serve to make the rich richer and keep the ignorant from feeling too bad about themselves.
Now, as to the future, I think the advent of space tourism is a positive step, but only a step. It will take a great deal of time and effort to get any direct benefit from these ventures. In the meantime, I anticipate a great deal of indirect benefit.

Sounds really cool. It will be expensive at first, but will eventually become cheap enough.

I don't like it. it's mean. not only humans polluting earth, but space also. It's just as bad as naming a star after you.

I would go if I had the money.

Addition: If no one experiences space it's like it was never there and it has no use. We are just the universe experiencing itself anyways.

it'll probably be way too expensive for normal Americans to enjoy it but if I could do it I would.

It may EVENTUALLY become semi-common (less so then say, a Cruise) but never totally acessable.

I think they'll be a small marke for it at first, but who cares? Even if you only get 7000 customers, they're paying 20 million or more each... that's 140,000,000,000! NICE.

I think this is a premature question! The first thing to consider is getting out there. We are never going to make it using brute force and ignorance as we are at present. We have to find some way of altering the time continuum. When we can do this, two places in space, no matter how far apart, will co-exist. ie. be next door to one another. Space travel will then be easy. Just like stepping from indoors to outdoors! Think on what Einstein said, "Distance is an illusion. The only thing keeping two places apart in space is TIME"! THEN space flights will be both cheap and easy!

Not enough people could afford it to allow it to really become huge. Of course, if I had $20 million, I would do it for the once-in-a-lifetime view of the Earth.

Well, i think that the key word in that question is "feasible" feasible means that its posible to think about, not that its going to happen. however if it does happen, i think very many people will do it. Mostly Celebrities though, because im guesing that the price will be about $8 to 20 milion per person, and when you pay that much, it might be a little disapointing to just see alot of black with a mediocre to good view of the earth, so will it happen? maybe, but will it catch on? not for at least 50 years after they first introduce it

Personally, with all the problems at hand on the planet right now, I can't believe some people would want to invest to go to space at all, and worse, for tourism. It's outrageous how far people will go to entertain themselves and get distracted from what's really important in this life. It makes me so sick. Right now, people die of hunger or lack of proper medical resources, etc. all over the world. And some people want to blow money and resources to go to SPACE! THEY SHOULD ALL BE ASHAMED OF THEMSELVES!

I see it as a high demand. Travelers will indeed take the opportunity to explore a world that was once unknown to them!

It would be fairly expensive in it's early stages. As time goes by I believe to attract MORE ppl the cost will become mor affordable.

Either way it will be really popular and will have it's fair share of tourist!

WHERE DO I SIGN UP

look up in the sky and become a space tourist...

sometime in the future when it is safe for tourism. What would happen if something went wrong in space what would happen to the tourists? it is not like an ambulance could fly there or there is gravity to keep them grounded.

Hey dude what can I say... Out of this world !

it will at some point be like taking a plane somewhere today and many people will want to do it.

Until it becomes cheaper it will just be a fad of the rich and, as such, could die out in a few years. I hope it will become comoon but unless ways to minimise costs without sacrificing safety are found cheap trips into orbit are out of the question.

it's simply a dumb idea. the government should be spending our taxes on something besides a fancy trip to space. its all about the money. they are obviously going to make a killing off this deal.

waste of money

I can`t believe your thinking about space flights when I can`t get a cheap enough flight to Perth Australia from the States...and we may be getting to unload on the Middle East and all that wasted money on a space flight,that could subsidize our gas prices.Space Tourism ?....PLEASE!

I think it would be really cool to go up in space. We did the ATX experience at NASA whwere we simulated space travel. It was a blast.

It's a good way for the filthy rich to invest in our space future. I haope it cathes on and Hope it really happens Maybe in a few generations people in 3rd world countries can go to Venus

It depends on how much money it costs. If it is not affordable to the general populace, I don't think it will go far. Then we will have yet ANOTHER piece of something-or-other in space.

Nothing like expanding your horizons. Eventually it may be affordable to all or we may not even need it - remember Total recall?

Everything is expensive at first. Space tourism is super-cool and I can't wait until it become economical. At one point automobiles were not common place. Now it seems like everybody has at least one.

COOL!!! I heard there is one space ship that takes people to outer space, i think from either Russia or Germany.

I think it's going to be great, but very limited as we really don't have the technology to go many places except the moon right now.

sounds good. but will need testing and other crap, so it will become expensive, later cheap then it will become into 3 payments of: first class, second class, third class.

The price will come down, as air flight came down, but it will be initially expensive.

Well, It would be a hell of a ride but not real practical. Right now Branson has the seats all sold out for right around a quarter of a million on Virgin Space lines. That's $250,000.00 for a 15 minute no gravity float just inside of the outer space limits which means you are still within earths pull. Ain't nothing Virgin about Branson and the way he does business and after you get back I assure you you will feel violated at what it cost.
I don't know about you but that is way too steep for a thrill ride that may end up in a grave yard spiral back to earth.
If you remember they had problems on one of the voyages and damn near lost control of it and spun in.
I like earth way too much to trust my life to anything Branson has his hands on. I use to like him until he lied about the around the world Voyage that was suppose to have been leaking fuel and when it came back had 300 gallons of it left. Branson does things to get attention often times at other peoples expense and misery.
If you decide to go and make it back tell us all about it.
Bon Voyage Earthling

It's something that could be very big, but only if there were more than just the view of the earth to attract people, say for example, the moon, Mars, the other planets of the solar system, and so forth. the capability is not really there yet, not until we get the nuke-nuts off of our backs and build a nuclear-powered spacecraft. It's much cheaper, the equipment lasts longer, and is generally speaking a huge amount better than the current liquid fuel setup.