Pros and Cons of Privatizing Spaceflight
It sounds really friggin cool, but I wonder if privatizing spaceflight isn’t one of the riskiest travel options to be considered? Awesomeness aside, commercial airplanes have enough problems, though touted to be safer than driving in a car, and yet my tummy gets butterflies of excitement at the very thought of seeing the Earth in a way that only a handful of people ever will. Here’s my quick list of pros and cons on the subject:
Pro:
AWESOME! I may have already said that. Looking out the window and realizing you’re nowhere near solid ground would be unforgettable, mind-blowing and life-changing. Seeing something that we normally regard as huge reduced to a beach ball sized orb would really put things in perspective.
Con:
Listening to endless renditions from other passengers of “It’s A Small World” or “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds” once you hit orbit.
Pro:
Experiencing something only a limited number of people ever have or ever will, and in a sense, being a part of history. I wonder what the new name for the “Mile-High Club” will be?
Con:
Airsickness in zero or low gravity. Having it happen to someone next to you on a regular flight is bad enough. Having to ask someone to “keep that to yourself” is a whole other level of gross. Does Dramamine work in suborbit?
Pro:
Because only a few people have accomplished this feat, there’s got to be some sort of merit badge or ceremonial certificate deal you can display with pride on the wall after your successful return. And like skydiving, I’m sure there will be packages to purchase photos and video of the journey.
Con:
Which also bring me to the biggest con — price. At $35 million, I for one would have to save every dollar I’ve ever made, ever will make plus rob a few banks to make that deposit. However, Virgin Galactic (yep, Galactic) has a plan to take tourists on suborbital flights as early as 2011 for the bargain price of $200,000.
Source: CNN, valleywag.gawker.com
