Space Travel

steve_irwin · Joined: 23 Feb 2005 Posts: 30

Seemingly Richard Branson is looking at space as his next venture. Meanwhile Russia is trying to find new sources of revenue...

Do you think space travel will be a reality in the next few decades? If so, are you willing to give it a try? What price would you pay?

Personally I'm still waiting for the first tourist shuttle to Jupiter or at least the moon. Space is a bit dull for me, especially when it's empty. Of course, it would be interesting looking down on Earth from several thousand miles in the air...

Laura · Joined: 16 May 2004 Posts: 446 Location: San Francisco

There's a company in Daytona Beac, Florida called Zero-G that offers flights that fly parabolic loops so you can experience weightlessness. It's not cheap -- $3700 US plus tax, so I guess that works out to about $4000 US. You get to fly 15 parabolas, experiencing Martian and Lunar gravity, and also complete weightlessness. My husband and I would like to do this one day, especially since it's how the astronauts trained for weightlessness. I figure if one of us is going to get incredibly space sick, it's a good way of finding out before setting our sights on real space tourism. :) I'm not sure I'm ready to pay $4000 for it though, that would more than pay for several other interesting earth-based trips first, but still it's "on my list."

I don't usually get sick on anything...but then I've never experienced weightlessness! They don't call that plane the "vomit comet" for nothing.

cocodrilo · Joined: 12 Apr 2004 Posts: 494 Location: Western Japan

I would indeed like to experience weightlessness! I don't think I'd ever want to travel toa place where I couldn't breathe the air. I also don't like the idea of being confined to small places(rockets, for example) and wearing all that space gear(and the FOOD, and trying to PEE!. )
There are too many beautiful places here on this planet that I would like to see in my lifetime, so I am not interested in space travel.

Angrycat · Joined: 13 Mar 2005 Posts: 2 Location: UK

I think that the recent developments into space travel will offer slightly different benefits than we think, at least in the short term.

If aircraft can be constructed to fly in the upper atmosphere then travel times for long haul flights will be reduced drastically.

With the millions of dollars being pumped into research for alternative transport methods, such as trains using magnetic tracks, the airlines need to start thinking how people will be travelling in 50 - 75 years time.

The last 100 years has brought unprecedented leaps in technology. Although I do not believe the next 100 years will equal the sheer scale of technological advances, I do believe that investment into the travel industry should certainly bring some major developments to the world.

Can you imagine living in New York and commuting to Paris every morning for work?

peterW · Joined: 13 May 2005 Posts: 18 Location: London, UK

Angrycat wrote: Can you imagine living in New York and commuting to Paris every morning for work?

Not unless someone does some serious changes to time zones and working practices! :shock:

Personally I'd love to go to space, do a space walk and see earthrise from the moon. 8)