As we’ve hinted: Space tourism isn’t just about travelling to space. This type of tourism encompasses all activities related to the experience of outer space, whether it involves travelling beyond Earth’s atmosphere or engaging in space-related activities on Earth.
Thus, space tourism focuses on personal experience and enjoyment, rather than scientific exploration or mentally demanding tourism. For example, space tourism can also include watching rocket launches or visiting museums about space, observing constellations…
As we’ve mentioned, going into outer space can be considered “space tourism”, but you can also be a space tourist without doing space travel.
It’s important to consider the limitations of current technology and science. Although experiencing weightlessness and observing the cosmos is highly attractive to the public, there are not many companies currently offering “out there” experiences.
Therefore, while many people believe and argue that space tourism involves travelling to space, here we think that it also includes leisure activities related to the cosmos and the infinite universe we have.
And speaking of advances in science… Do you know how space travel has evolved?
How many people have visited space? About 600 since 1961, when the first human flight was recorded. But curiosity about the outside is much older. We even have to go back to the time when the pyramids of Egypt were built, perfectly aligned with the sky. Curious, isn’t it?
As we say, since the 1950s, the Soviet Union and the United States led a space race that would mark a milestone in history, as it facilitated unprecedented advances in outer space exploration.
It wasn’t until the turn of the millennium that commercial space tourism started to become a reality. A handful of wealthy individuals from around the world embarked on their leisure outings to cosmos between 2001-2009.
Seeing this demand, several space tourism operators began to emerge, such as Blue Origin, Virgin Galactic, and Rocket Lab. These companies have since become well-known names and are now working to someday offer suborbital trips in electric aircraft.
In recent years, commercial enthusiasm for space tourism has waned. The public continues to eagerly await the days when they can swap their all-inclusive vacations in Benidorm for a week of zero gravity in space, but for most, it remains an unrealistic and unattainable prospect.
Space tourism encompasses a wide range of experiences, from the most accessible to the truly orbital.
Do you know of any space museums? There are places like the National Air and Space Museum in Washington D.C., or the Memorial Museum of Cosmonautics in Moscow, which offer visitors an in-depth look at the history and technology of cosmos through exhibitions and real artifacts.
Yes, watching rocket launches also counts as space tourism. There is the possibility of seeing a rocket taking off towards space, although accessible to a few. It’s an impressive and accessible experience, as far as it goes, for those who want to feel the excitement of space without leaving Earth.
Although still in development, projects like Orion Span’s space hotel propose orbital stays where tourists can live and sleep in space for extended periods.
Although it may seem very simple, observing stars and phenomena like the northern lights is also space tourism, as it brings something as vast and complex as the universe to our eyes, and very good conclusions and reflections can be drawn simply by looking at the sky.
