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Virgin Galactic is set to launch its first commercial spaceflight next week, indicating that extreme tourism is still drawing interest despite the recent deaths related to the Titanic tourist submersible’s implosion.
Virgin Galatic’s first commercial spaceflight, Galactic 01, is a scientific research mission that’s set to fly between June 27 and 30. Three crew members from the Italian Air Force and the National Research Council of Italy plan to conduct microgravity research on the trip. Galactic 02, the company’s first private astronaut mission, is scheduled for early August. Monthly spaceflights are expected to follow.
While extreme tourism has been in the spotlight amid the race to recover the sub, it’s unlikely that the industry is going to take a significant hit because people “typically have short memories,” according to Texas A&M University professor James Petrick, who studies tourists’ purchase behaviors.
“I don’t expect it to slow down,” Petrick said. “There’s going to be an awareness to it that it might not have had before, so it might actually increase possible motivation for some people.”
How safe is space tourism?
While OceanGate made headlines for being experimental and lacking certifications, Virgin Galactic and other spaceflight companies have worked closely with regulatory agencies like the Federal Aviation Administration, which issues commercial space licenses and performs safety inspections.
But the FAA notes that its authority in the space is limited. The agency is prohibited from imposing any new regulations on commercial spaceflight passenger safety after Congress established a moratorium in 2004.
The moratorium has been extended three times and is set to expire in October.
Federal law does require space tourism operators to notify participants of the associated risks and share, in writing, that the government has not certified launch or reentry vehicles as safe for carrying humans.
But these sorts of risks aren’t enough to deter some.
The people who make these trips are “wired to want to. They’ve got inside them an intrinsic motivation that has them want this type of thrill in their life,” Petrick said. “And maybe for some people, it’s extrinsic. (It’s done) to show off, to say that they’ve conquered and done something.”
Alan Fyall, chair of tourism marketing at the University of Central Florida, said the space tourism industry doesn’t need to worry about easing everyone’s safety concerns. All it needs are a few very wealthy people to be open to taking the risk.
The industry “is highly resilient because they need very, very, very few people to make this economically viable,” he said. It’s a “tiny, niche market. But there are plenty of people on this planet with the money to do this sort of thing.”
For your wellness:The Titanic submersible passengers have died. It’s OK to grieve.
How much is the space tourism industry worth?
The space economy was valued at more than $460 billion in 2022, with $362 billion tied to the commercial sector, according to consulting firm Euroconsult.
What is the cost of space travel?
Traveling to space doesn’t come cheap: A seat on a Virgin Galactic flight costs $450,000.
The company is competing with other burgeoning space tourism companies like Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin (the company in 2021 said the current highest bid for a seat was $2.4 million) and Elon Musk’s SpaceX (three businessmen paid $55 million each for a 2022 trip to the International Space Station).
The three companies did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Despite the costs and risk, Fyell said spaceflights and other forms of extreme tourism will continue to attract customers.
“People are always wanting to push the boundaries of their travel experiences,” he said.
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