Space travel????

Right now I am 20 years old. I have always been fascinated by space travel and science fiction. The idea of the infinite beyond is mesmerizing. My question is...is it possible, in my lifetime for feasible, commercial space travel. If not commercial space travel, at least will it be possible to go outside of the atmosphere really. To the moon maybe? Mars if I'm lucky? Maybe I'm just a dreamer but I have made it a goal to go into outer space one way or another before I die. Will it be possible?

There are already companies trying to be the first to make a commercial space plane. The most advanced company was formed by Richard Branson and Burt Rutan and called Scaled Composites. Click on this link for more info: http://www.scaled.com/news/2005-07-27_br...

At your age you probably will be able to at least orbit the earth in a commercial vehicle if not to a space station or the moon. NASA will probably remain the only hope of going to Mars for the foreseeable future.

probably not

Given the rapid advance of technology, I would guess that it isn't only possible, but very probable.

Nano technology will built the space elevator within 15 years and this will make space visits within reach of the public.

Based on what's happening now, it's looking very mch like it willl be possible. Commercial space travel is in its infancy--with efforts like "Spaceship One" and richard Branson's startup company for sub-orbital flights, Virgin Galactic (there's a lot of others as well--if you don't know of them, check these out: Blue Origin, Bigelow Aerospace, SpaceX, Spacedev, Aradilo Aerospace--to name a few of the start-up firms that seem to be making good progress).

The future looks good--though we have to remember that the commercial space sector still has a good deal to do before it establishes itself as economically viable. There have been soeme major technological developments in recent years that are making this idea of private space travel possible for the first time--advances in low-cost propulsion and matierals technology, in particular.

To start with its going to be expensive--too expensive for the average--or merely above-average income. Historically, that's to be expected--early technologies are expensive (examples include air travel, computers, and automobiles). But as a market is established and experience with the technology is accumulated, innovation and growing volume bring prices down.

So is it realistic for you to be able to go into space at some point? IF the emerging commercial space sector does prove viable, the answer is a definate yes. It will be expensive--even 20-25 years from now--but doable. Suborbital flights, defiately; these (now) are expected to be about $200,000 to start--but a drop to $25000 in 25 years is not only a realistic hope, its probably conservative. By that time orbital filghts will be available--though you may need to make it to the ranks of themoderately wealthy to afford it. The moon--maybe. Mars--personally I doubt it in your lifetime(at least if you're talking about travelling there as a passenger--we'll get there within your lifetime, though.

I don'tknow what your career interests are--but here's something to keep in mind--a lot of people without a lot of money--your age and younger--are going to et free rips into space--as engineers, scientists, and technicians working on commercial space stations. And there will be a lot morethan most people realize. The reason is something few people are paying much attention to: space manufacturing. Its coming--and as soon as someone can establish a reliable passenger service (tourist flights) to orbit, industry is going to piggyback on that to start putting up orbiting labs and then manufacturing facilities. Some of the fields are going to include biotechnology, high-tech matierials, electronics, and pharmaceuticals.

So--there's going to be more than one way to get into space in a few years. If I were 20 (not for a long time, i'm afraid!) that's what I'd e thinking about. Good luckto you. :)

Listen, the way they are going, they might find the fountain of youth before you or I go. They know that old age is caused by the stopping of the dividing of cells. With this, they can find a way to stop the biological clock from ticking and might beable to make man immortal.

Has for commercial space travel, it would easily happen in our near future. I am talking in the next ten years. I expect it to just boom like computers did. They said computers will never be used personally and now look, what did you write this message on? I am sure that space travel will be the same.

Yesterday, I had the privilage to shake hands with both Anousheh Ansari and Brian Binnie, people who went to space, but were not professional astronauts. I say to you that this isn't some futuristic "posibility", this is an inevitibility. The other posts are long on details, I'm just saying yes.

My only word of caution, it won't be cheap. You better start investing/saving now if you want to fly in 2010.