High frontier – entrepreneurs see space tourism as ‘next big thing’

By Dick Pelletier

     Tired of theme parks and roller coasters? Traveled everywhere and still want more? Can’t get that adrenaline rush anymore? Then you may be ready for a trip to space, the next big thing.

     Ever since mankind first gazed at the stars, humans have dreamed of traveling in space, but progress to make this dream come true has been excruciatingly slow. The world became excited when astronauts made their “first giant step for mankind,” but since then, we’ve produced only 40 to 50 years of boring earth orbits and a few unmanned flights.

     Now, billionaires Sir Richard Branson and Robert Bigelow want to change all that. They believe that government space development efforts, burdened by bureaucracy, have been and always will be, inefficient; and that only private industry will make the dream of space tourism happen in our lifetime.

     Branson recently unveiled Space-Ship-Two, touted as the world’s first tourist spaceship, which will undergo trials in late 2008, and could, by 2009, allow passengers to view our beautiful planet from 63 miles high, and experience the magic of weightlessness; however it’s a bit pricey at $200,000 a ticket.

     Though only the rich can afford space travel today, Branson and Bigelow believe that future technologies will one day lower prices allowing everyone to explore the high frontier. By late 2020s, the Space Elevator, a revolutionary system that climbs a nanotech-ribbon extending 62,000 miles from Earth to space could carry passengers into orbit for as low as $2,000, where they would then transfer to shuttlecrafts and go on to orbiting hotels, the space station; and eventually to moon, Mars and beyond.

     As more people become space travelers, they will need a place to stay. Budget Suites of America owner Robert Bigelow plans to send a human-rated habitat module dubbed Sundancer, to an altitude of 250 nautical miles at an orbital inclination of 40 degrees. Once Sundancer is in position and verified safe, Bigelow will add more components creating a full-scale work/lodging complex by 2012.

     Satellite Industry Association President Richard Dalbello says, "Once hotel companies start to build and operate orbital accommodations, they will be endlessly improving them and competing to build more exotic facilities". We will see hotels that provide normal gravity for rooms, bars, and restaurants; and gravity-free areas for recreation and sports activities.

     At a recent Space Conference in San Jose, entrepreneurs and scientists mulled over ideas for space businesses, including shuttlecrafts, colonization resources, and asteroid mining. Space Foundation CEO Elliot Pulham talked of mining a giant asteroid expected to pass near Earth in 2019. Scientists believe this rock known as A-3554 is full of valuable metals like nickel and platinum and could generate $20 trillion in revenues. Experts predict asteroid mining will become the largest and most profitable industry in space by mid-century.

     Will this "magical future" happen? Maybe the NASA director put it best: "In the long run, a single-planet species will not survive. One day, I don't know when, but one day, there will be more humans living off the Earth than on it." Mike Griffin.

     Fasten your seatbelts Gang; humanity is heading for a most incredible "magical future" in the high frontier.

This article appeared in various print publications and on-line blogs. Comments always welcome.