Space Tourism Explained: What, Why and Where - Tourism Teachers (2023)

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Space tourism is an exciting development in the travel and tourism industry. futuristic onetype of tourism, the prospect of spending free time in space is a daunting prospect for many. But while some of us might have hoped to be able to experience space tourism with virtual reality software alone, a number of companies are making space vacations a reality.

What is space tourism?

Space tourism is a type of tourism that involves an interest in space. While most people associate space tourism solely with space travel, the concept of space tourism is actually broader.

Space tourism can include visiting space-related museums, watching rocket launches, or traveling to popular stargazing destinations, among other space-related activities.

Lately, a lot of commercial attention has been focused on the concept of traveling into space as a tourist; Several companies, including Virgin Galactic and SpaceX, are working on this in the near future.

Space tourism definitions

If you Google the phrase "what is space tourism", Google, Wikipedia and other sources will quickly tell you that you are traveling to space for business or leisure purposes.

However, I question whether space tourism focuses solely on space travel. Space tourism is much more than that! Yes, this is an exciting prospect that has garnered media and public attention, but wait a minute… What about all the other space-related activities we can do?sinBoard a rocket and leave the solar system?

The people over thereThe space tourism guideget the right idea. You say that;

“Space tourism is not— and should not — be limited to space...While we can and should consider all activities of space tourism companies such as Virgin Galactic, Blue Origin, Zero2Infinity and other space tourism, we must not disparage the companies and destinations here on Earth that meet the needs and desires of all of us who love to travel for space-related activities. These can vary widely, from cities and museums like Space Center Houston to hotels with space-themed rooms."

Space tourism is much more than a trip to space! In fact, I maintain that space tourism should be comprehensiveinActivities related to space and astrology!

To date, there is little academic research on space tourism. Yes, some people have delved into astrology and the like, but overall there is a lack of information. Most of the research done focused on studying the potential demand and demographics of the market.

Given the misleading definitions you'll find if you ask your favorite search engine what the term space tourism means, I've provided my own definition below.

"Space tourism is participation in space-related or related activities, whether for business or leisure purposes."

So there you have it: a definition of space tourism.

History of Space Tourism

There are a total of 600 people who have been in space. The first human being visited space in 1961, but it was actually long before that day that many people developed an interest in space. In fact, humans have been gazing at the stars for as long as there is recorded history. Hell, even theyThe ancient Egyptian pyramids were built around the stars..

So the concept of space tourism is not new.

The 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s saw tremendous advances in space exploration. The Soviet Union and the United States were world leaders in this field; take many trips to space, explore our solar system, nearby planets and moons. Space travel has become more affordable, and we've learned a lot in that time.

It wasn't until the turn of the millennium that commercial space tourism, where a tourist could travel into space, began to become a reality. A handful of wealthy citizens from around the world took their leisure trips into space between 2001 and 2009. In response to this demand, various space tourism companies have sprung up, including Blue Origin, Virgin Galactic, and Rocket Lab. become household names.

In recent years, the commercial hype and craze for space tourism has died down. The public is still looking forward to the days when they can redeem theirsall inclusive vacationin Benidorm for a week in zero gravity in space, but for most this is an unrealistic and unattainable prospect.

At the moment, it looks like space travel will only be available to the super-rich, and we don't yet know when that will be. BUT the space tourism industry in all its other forms (museums, stargazing, rocket launches, etc.) is still accessible to everyone.

Types of space tourism

We may not yet be able to travel to space on our annual vacation days, but there are still ways we can get involved in the space tourism industry. Here are some examples.

seeing stars

Stargazing is a popular space tourism hobby for many. There are many parts of the world that are known for their stargazing potential. These are typically remote areas where light pollution is reduced, allowing for maximum visibility.

Some popular stargazing destinations have capitalized on the tourism market by organizing stargazing tours or stargazing-focused lodging options, such as bubble hotels.This CNN articleshows you some of the best bubble hotels in the world. Many people take the opportunity to visit the aurora borealis or northern lightssouthern lighta.

Many of these destinations are perfect for practicingastrophotography¡a!

rocket launches

Although a rocket launch is not common, it is possible to observe when it happens. Previously run only by governments, there are now a number of private companies that launch rockets.

If you are traveling to a destination to view a rocket launch, or if you view a rocket launch in conjunction with other business or entertainment activities, you may be classified as a space tourist.

Weltraummuseen

A prominent part of the space tourism industry are space museums.

There are many museums around the world that focus on the concept of outer space, although these are more numerous in the United States and Russia. Here are some of the top-rated space museums.

• Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, Washington DC, USA
• Canada Aviation and Space Museum, Ottawa, Canada
• Memorial Museum of Cosmonautics, Moskau, Russia
• Pima Air and Space Museum, Arizona, USA.
• Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum, New York, USA. UU.
• Air and Space Museum of Le Bourget, Paris, France
• Kennedy Space Center, Florida, USA
• Space City, Toulouse, France

space tourism vacation

As I mentioned before, space tourism vacations are what many people think of as space tourism. While there are other activities that make up space tourism, space tourism trips have deservedly garnered a lot of media attention in recent years. Who wouldn't pick up the newspaper and read an article that tells them they can trade their two weeks in the sun for two weeks in space?

Well, then it's not that simple. It will take some adjustments to spend time in zero gravity, you might feel a little dizzy and not come home with the same tan lines, BUT space tourism vacations are becoming a reality.

There are a number of companies that have been developing their space tourism products for several years, although the exact timing of our next space tourism vacation has yet to be determined.

space tourism company

There are several key players in the space tourism vacation market. Below is a brief summary of each.

galactic virgo

Virgin Galactic is perhaps one of the best known space tourism vacation companies. It is part of the broader Virgin Group and as such benefits from an already well-established brand and reputation. It belongs to Richard Branson.

The company plans to send a number of tourists into space and already has an extensive waiting list for avid space travelers, including Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Leonardo DiCaprio, Ashton Kutcher and Justin Bieber.

However, Virgin Galactic has had some negative headlines of late with multiple delays and the loss of the space plane VSS Enterprise in flight in 2014.

spacex

Unlike Virgin Galactic, SpaceX is an experienced rocket launcher that is now expanding into the commercial space tourism vacation market.

SpaceX was founded by Elon Musk. His first vacation was originally scheduled for 2018, but has since been pushed back.

blue origin

Blue Origin plans to offer space tourism vacations similar to Virgin Galactic's. With a traditional vertical launch rocket, the company wants to go online soon, but no firm date has been set yet.

Blue Origin was founded in 2000 by Mr. Bezos.

Orion-Spanne

Orion Span plans to send tourists into space to stay at his "space hotel." The space hotel would accommodate up to six tourists at a time and house the private commercial space station, the Aurora Space Station.

Orion Span's CEO is Frank Bunger, who says the company's "goal is to make space accessible to everyone." They plan to start operations in 2021.

Boeing

Best known for its aircraft that don't leave the hemisphere, Boeing has also branched out into the space tourism vacation market.

Boeing's involvement stemmed from its working agreement with NASA, under which they worked on the commercial crew development program, which aims to increase the participation of private sector companies in the production of manned vehicles that will be launched into orbit. .

Boeing has developed a crew capsule called the Boeing CST-100 Starliner that allows them to sell seats to space tourists.

Is space tourism safe?

There have been some concerns about the safety of space tourism, particularly after the negative publicity surrounding the loss of the Virgin Galactic plane in 2014.

With the space tourism industry in such early development and the FAA unable to control how companies design and manufacture their aircraft, it's hard to say how safe space tourism travel will be.

However, there have been many critics who have hinted that there will be deaths among tourists who wish to vacation in space. The number of accidents that occurred during the testing phases didn't reassure people much either.

The cost of space tourism vacations

Space tourism vacations are commonplace, at least not yet, because to be able to afford the ticket you have to have a good amount of money in your pocket.

Prices start at $250,000 and go up to tens of millions of dollars. While individual space tourism tour companies differ slightly, prices generally include pre-departure training and equipment. For now, space tourism trips are short, a few hours. However, it is intended that the trips will be extended in the future to allow for longer stays in space.

Space tourism: conclusion

As you can see, the space tourism industry is an important part of the tourism industry in general. While most of the attention is usually focused on the exciting prospects of space tourism, there are also a number of other recreational activities that make up space tourism.

We are likely to see many developments in the space tourism industry in the coming years as various commercial operators continue to conduct research and development. Watch this space and you might be the next person to spend their annual vacation days in space!

keep reading

If you want to learn a little more about the space tourism industry, I can recommend the following texts:

• The space tourism market: first signsby Geoffrey Crouch - An overview of the space tourism market and its future potential
• Endurance: a year in space, a lifetime of discoveriesby Scott Kelly - A diary account of the NASA astronaut's experiences in space.
• spacial tourismby Patrick Stakem - A textbook introducing the concept of space tourism.

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