LOS ANGELES – A bustling space tourism industry is still a long way off, but that’s not stopping entrepreneurs from planning space airlines and tour operations.
Space business-people attending the Space Frontier Foundation convention in Los Angeles last week said they are counting on privately produced, reusable launch vehicles to bring space safely to everyone.
Currently it costs about $10,000 to $20,000 per pound to put something into Earth orbit, but entrepreneurs say launch costs could drop to as low as $100 per pound eventually.
"We need to promote tourism, not just for the wealthy, but for everybody," said Apollo 11 astronaut and ShareSpace Foundation Chairman Buzz Aldrin. "When Joe six pack is selected by lottery, it’ll draw a lot of attention."
Aldrin’s plan includes a lottery system to allow those who couldn’t afford a pricey trip into space a chance to fly.
Aldrin's company is one of several ventures designing systems to fly passengers which should hold down costs by reusing all components and economy of scale by making many flights.
Placing satellites into orbit currently is the most profitable venture, according to economist Patrick Collins of the National Space Development Agency of Japan, but as more launch systems come on line, carrying passengers and tourists will be necessary to continue profitability.
He estimates that there will be too many launch vehicles for the satellite industry and out of that will grow space airlines that may carry up to 40 million passengers by 2030.
Brent Sherwood of the Boeing Co. takes a longer and perhaps more pragmatic view of passenger travel.
"To make this credible, you need credible players," he said. "Boeing is not ready to say this is a business yet."
He said Boeing is studying the issue. Sherwood said that, to make space passenger travel a reality will require a transportation system, a destination and capability to maintain and use them.
Even if passenger-carrying launch systems and orbiting or lunar destinations are in place, the space traveler will probably have to undergo more training than today’s airline customer.
"It may take extensive training," said Professor Harvey Wichman of Claremont McKenna College. "You may not be able to hop on a flight at the last minute."
Wichman, who has conducted tests with passengers in simulated spacecraft, said while NASA conducts extensive screening of astronauts, space airlines won’t have that luxury but will have to provide some sort of training for passengers.
He suggests simulators such as those used to train pilots or in amusement parks to give passengers a sample of what space might be like.
During a 1996 test at Claremont McKenna, he found those passengers with training had reduced negative experiences.
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