tocChairman’s Message
Kirby Ikin
Chairman, Executive Committee
Commercial Space — One Tourist At A Time!
Much of what we do in space is based on very sound practical grounds, be that
scientific or commercial. Yet many of the people who work on space projects
are really driven by a sense of wonder and awe at what the realm of space offers,
and the uniqueness of that environment. Their work is a means of connection
to the excitement of the final frontier. For the broader public they can vicariously
share the excitement by following space activities the world over. However we
are on the brink of opening the door to allowing non-space professionals the
ultimate opportunity to participate — through space tourism.
It was only a few years ago that the mere mention of space tourism would draw
quiet chuckles or looks of disdain. Yet today we are on the brink of opening
space to those who can afford the price. MirCorp went a long way to proving
the commercial viability of a commercial space operation based around space
tourism, by demonstrating that a market for such a service existed, even where
the price tag was $20M per flight. What was simply a flight of fancy only a
few years ago is upon us and the space community is scrambling to respond.
NSS, space entrepreneurs, and visionaries have long contended that space tourism
would play a role in opening the space frontier. Reusable Launch Vehicle proponents
have developed business plans that look to space tourism as a component of their
long term success. Yet the economics of such a service, and the scale of the
available market, are not the only important considerations. Issues of passenger
safety (especially when we start to envisage lower prices and larger numbers
of tourists) come to the fore, as do regulatory issues such as air/space traffic
management for winged RLVs, and the liability considerations that may be associated
with their operation. NSS has already taken stock of these issues and identified
some of the more significant within its Road Map to Space Settlement.
The emergence of space tourism as a serious subject is positive reinforcement
of the important role that we as visionaries and activists have to play in pushing
the boundaries of space development. It is our identification and pursuit of
such ideas and issues that paves the way for them to become mainstream concepts.
Through activist efforts we can transform flights of fancy into reality.
Ad Astra