Space tourism is no longer just the outlandish vision of science fiction writers. While still only affordable to the very wealthy, space tourism offers a unique type of adventure that is sought after by a large percent of the traveling population. From the mind-boggling thrill of looking at Earth from space to the feeling of weightlessness, space trips offer the experience of a lifetime to well-funded travelers.
Through Space Adventures, Ltd. and the Russian Soyuz program, American Dennis Tito became the first fee-paying tourist in space. He was later followed by South African Mark Shuttlework and American entrepreneur/scientist Gregory Olsen. Soon after, private space traveling for paying tourists was temporarily put on hold when Soyuz vehicles became the only available transport to the International Space Station after the Columbia disaster.
Private companies in Russia, Europe and the United States are competing to become future leaders of space tourism. Even though analysts envision space tourism travel becoming more and more popular, development is a slow process. Analysts say floating space hotels are on the horizon, but until space travel is more affordable, there will not be a substantial market for the hotels.
For more information on space tourism, simply choose any space tourism article or other interactive feature below.
Published On: Space.com
No comments:
Post a Comment