Branson’s Vision for Space Tourism
Richard Branson, 70, believes there is a huge market waiting for suborbital spaceflights. Prices currently range from $250,000 to $500,000, which could create a $1 trillion market at the high end. Furthermore, he explained, “The more spaceships we build, the more we can bring prices down. Consequently, we’ll satisfy growing demand over the coming years.”
Competing Space Programs
Meanwhile, Jeff Bezos is set to launch on July 20 aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket. Unlike Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo (V.S.S. Unity), which launches mid-air and glides back to Earth, Blue Origin’s rocket takes off vertically from the ground. In addition, Elon Musk’s SpaceX has been operating for years, although it has yet to announce plans for space tourism.
The Start of Commercial Space Flight
This milestone in commercial space flight echoes the early days of commercial air travel. For instance, on May 23, 1926, Western Air Express inaugurated the first scheduled airline passenger service in the U.S., flying from Salt Lake City to Los Angeles. At that time, no one could imagine how the airline industry would evolve. Moreover, few expected it to become as profitable as it is today.
Branson’s Historic Flight
On July 11, 2021, Sir Richard Branson finally achieved his dream by becoming an astronaut. Branson, who founded Virgin Galactic and other ventures like Virgin Records and Virgin Atlantic, reached a major milestone.
First, at 8:40 a.m. Mountain Time, the carrier plane took off with the V.S.S. Unity beneath it. Then, after climbing to 45,000 feet, Unity was released, ignited its rocket, and soared to 53.5 miles above Earth. After safely landing, Branson described the experience as “magical.”
What’s Next for Space Tourism?
Passengers experienced weightlessness for about four minutes, known as “freefall.” This incredible achievement by a private company paves the way for space tourism. However, currently, only the very wealthy can afford it.
Looking ahead, with Jeff Bezos’ upcoming Blue Origin flight and SpaceX’s ongoing advances, space tourism is likely to expand significantly in the near future.
