Image of an astronaut sunning in space with earth in the distance
Illustrations by Magictorch; Shutterstock.com (background)

Your Next Vacation: Space?

People are spending big bucks to visit space. Would you want a ticket?

By the editors of Scope
From the May 2023 Issue
Lexile: 920L

Tired of your regular vacation spots? Looking for some adventure? Forget about that trip to Six Flags. Book a trip to space!

That’s right. Today anyone with a craving for adventure and a boatload of cash can buy a ticket on a private spaceship. Companies like Blue Origin, SpaceX, and Virgin Galactic offer passengers such space-age thrills as blasting off from the planet at high speeds, floating in low gravity, and taking in dazzling views of Earth that previously only astronauts (and perhaps aliens) could see

If rockets aren’t your speed, soon you’ll be able to buy a ticketfor $50,000for World View’s space balloon. It will gently lift passengers 100,000 feet into the air, high enough to see the curve of Earth. The first voyage is scheduled for next year.

Want to enjoy the comforts of home on your space trip? In 2027, Orbital Assembly plans to open a space hotel for touristswith cozy sleeping quarters and a gourmet restaurant

Many people are excited by the rise of this so-calledspace tourism.” They envision a future in which the wonders of space are as accessible as those of a national park. Thousands of people are already on wait-lists for future trips. But not everyone is on board. Critics say the risks far outweigh the thrills

Is space tourism a dazzling advancement for humanity? Or a disaster waiting to happen?

Epic Thrills

Image of a vacation spaceship

Illustration by Magictorch

Like climbing Mount Everesttaking a trip to space puts a person in an exclusive club of adventurers. So far, only about 620 people have been to space, nearly all of them highly trained astronauts. However, in the age of space tourism, it will be increasingly possible for civilians to leave Earth

Tourists will experience forces of motion far more extreme than those of the most terrifying roller coasters. Indeed, a trip to space comes with epic thrills that can’t be experienced anywhere else. Blue Origin passengers, for example, blast off at 2,200 miles per hournearly four times the speed of a commercial jet. As the force of Earth’s gravity fades, passengers can unbuckle their seat belts and experience the magic of weightlessness. And the view is breathtaking: our blue planet, lit up against the dark expanse of space

Many astronauts say the view from space made them appreciate Earth in a deeper way. Yuri Gagarin, the first human in space, said, “I marveled at the beauty of our planet. People of the world, let us safeguard and enhance this beautynot destroy it.” 

Could space tourism make us all better citizens of the world? Could it inspire us to take better care of the planet? It’s certainly possible.

Steep Costs

Image of a vacation spaceship

Illustration by Magictorch

On the other hand, space tourism could carry a steep environmental cost. Emissions from airplanes contribute significantly to climate change. Scientists are still assessing the environmental impacts of space tourism, but some worry that if it gets popular, all the rockets and spacecraft taking off could cause a lot of damage.  

Space travel also comes with safety risks. Over the past 60 years, about 30 astronauts have died during missions or while training for them. Space tourism companies may boast the latest in safety features, but when it comes to space travel, even a small malfunction can be catastrophic. Plus, space is hard on the body. Low gravity weakens the immune system. After returning from space, many astronauts have caught colds and other infections

But the biggest criticism of space tourism? The price. Virgin Galactic charges each passenger $450,000 for a 90-minute flight. Last April, three people paid $55 million each to SpaceX for a weeklong trip. For many, it’s hard to fathom spending that kind of money when there are so many needs right here on Earth

Space tourism companies argue their work does more than offer an expensive joyride to a select few. They say the technology they develop will be used to advance space exploration. For example, a rocket created to launch tourists into space could help astronauts reach Mars one day

Plus, space tourism may get less expensive over time. After all, when cars first appeared in the late 1800s, only the very wealthy could afford them. Now they are everywhere. It’s possible that in the future, space tourism could become affordable too—although scientists believe we are a long way off from that.  

So what do you think? If you had the chance, would you go?

This article was originally published in the May 2023 issue.

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