Space Tourism Today and Tomorrow
Despite his degree, the only job Gary landed on the Japanese Orbital
Hotel, was as a cleaner. The good jobs went to Japanese guys. Still,
he'd always wanted to go to space...
The point of this is that space tourism is now happening. Not only governments, but even private companies are now in the business of raising the funding to make it do so. There are no more technical problems to speak of. These were solved long ago. So it really is now only a matter of a few years and the Garys of this world will have their wishes, but you probably will need a degree to get a job as a cleaner. All kinds of catering jobs, entertainment careers, even factory worker jobs, are about to become possible in space. These jobs are going to be at a premium though, for a long while to come.
This means that if you want to work in space, whatever you decide to do, you're going to have to do whatever it takes to become the best whatever-it-is there is. Obviously, the more you know about space and the likely conditions there the better, and even if you do take a degree in astrophysics, space engineering, or whatever, one of the best things you can do is join a space society, if you're not already in one.
An astrophysics or any other degree will teach about the subject concerned in depth. Space societies on the other hand, will enable you to become much more familiar with the wider picture. In one way or another space covers almost every discipline there is, so you'll get to meet and talk with others with knowledge outside your own field(s). Either a degree or a space society membership will help, but if you have both together you'll have a much better chance. With Space Settlers you also get the chance to help make it all happen sooner, by assisting us to get politicians to put the right legislation in place.
Right now, some Japanese are planning an orbital hotel, and so are various American organizations including the Hilton organization. Hilton Hotels also aim to build one on the Moon, particularly as it now seems there is ten times more water ice there than they'd originally thought. ---And that is just the beginning. Several US and European groups have plans for much more economic space vehicles than the present US Shuttle, and as soon as any one of these gets off the drawing board and into space, the space hotel business will take off with it.
With a really economic space vehicle, it may be possible to get the cost of a week in space down to around $10,000 or perhaps £6,500. If we put our minds to it, over a year or two most of us really could save up those kinds of sums. But right now, the price being asked for the first trips is more likely to be around $250,000 per head, or around £150,600.
There won't be all that many customers at these prices, so the hotels will be few and far between until the cost gets considerably lower - and that will take at least 10 years, quite probably 20 or more. Nevertheless, the very rich require the very best of service and entertainment, and they'll need it up there. That is where most of those of you reading this have at least a chance of coming in.
If you can be the best technically, great! But even otherwise, if you really want to go to space; if you have confidence in your ability to be the best on your chosen path in service or entertainment, and if you're right; if you also have got a good enough thinking cap, and you put it on, and use it well enough, you'll make it.
Since the above was written much has happened, and the latest is that Space Trips are now already on offer in both the US and UK. You can now book your passage on one of the first flights - through Space Islands in the US or WildWings in the UK.
In 2012, NASA is now said to be planning to open a space hotel in Low Earth Orbit. This will be made of a ring of joined shuttle tanks. They expect 3 day packages to cost as little as £10-15 thousand. Gene Myers of Space Islands is predicting that a whole week will be available for such sums within only 5 years from now. Big supporters of the new surge towards space tourism include British Airways, Virgin Airlines, and Hilton International.
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