Space tourism... and beyond
Indeed, SpaceX, which has a wide-ranging set of commercial interests beyond taking tourists to the edge of space, continues to move forward — with a tender offer reported last week that could value it at $175bn. Plans for thousands of internet satellites, commercial travel to the moon, a base on the lunar surface and even loftier goals to turn the human race into an interplanetary species by colonizing other planets, are all ambitions of the California-based company.
SpaceX has catalyzed much of the excitement about space tourism. The company’s two-stage Falcon 9 rocket is able to launch a kilogram into low-Earth orbit for just ~$1,500, a 10-20x decrease in cost in roughly as many years. That's due to its (partial) reusability — a breakthrough that’s helped SpaceX dominate commercial launchpads in the US. Indeed, FAA data reveals that SpaceX has completed 281 licensed launches since 2000 — 9x as many as Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic have managed between them.
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Of course, even if you re-use some of the rocket, burning hundreds of tonnes of CO2 in the pursuit of tourism for rich people is always going to be controversial. But, not all space tourism ventures see themselves blasting into the final frontier. A French startup, Zephalto, is looking to make its first ascent in late 2024, carrying 6 passengers in a pressurized cabin with comfy couches attached to a giant eco-friendly balloon, offering passengers Michelin-starred catering while they look at the Earth’s curves. Needless to say, Zephalto’s vision remains more of a concept for tourists, than a reality, for now.
These ventures all beg perhaps the most important question of all: does anyone want to go to space anyway?
