General Reply

[den]

I didn't say it wasn't a big deal. I think this is a bloody brilliant first step! I've been waiting for this for years. What annoys me is that we are at the start of something new and of all the Good Things that can be done with this, the prospect of orbital factories and power satelites or real sub-orbital travel between cities or a useful space station, the media focuses on tourism.







Yes yes yes. The Wright Brothers didn't plan airlines. I know that. I'm not stupid. And one of the first passengers in an aircraft was killed.

Comments

[zibblsnrt.livejournal.com]

I'm waiting for the factories, SPS systems, and probably something like a space elevator in the short to medium term. I'm also just hoping this manages to break through that godawful idea that anything involving some kind of vision is "science fiction" and therefore impossible.

"Idealist" has become a dirty word in the last twenty years or so (folks routinely call me one and thus think they've refuted my space advocacy), and I'm praying Rutan and company can actually do something to get rid of that blight. A lot of the louder attitudes towards the SS1 flight infuriate me probably as much as they do you at the moment.

[kelloggs2066.livejournal.com]

I'm afraid at this point in time, the public is still very much in the "That's nice, but what good is it?" mode.

Tourism is one of the less practical but first things that will help capture the public's imagination. And capture it we must!

Remember, one of the reasons that the public is bored with space travel at the moment is that it's still something that most of them will never be able to do. NASA's Astronauts are a Very exclusive club.

Few things bore me more than the idea of watching people play professional golf. It's not something I can do, or would really want to do. But going out and playing golf for myself? Maybe I might like to try it. (Maybe). But as long as it's just a bunch of elite wackos knocking balls around, I couldn't care less.

This will be an opportunity that will let others get in on the game. Eventually, enough that almost anyone can go.

Remember your history: I think it was Michael Faraday, demonstrating electrical phenomena, someone asked "Of what use is it?" Faraday's answer: "Madam, of what use is a newborn baby?"

Now, to you and me, we both know just what real uses space exploration can be put to. But, you gotta remember that the majority of people on the planet are still in the position of that lady asking "Of what use is it?"

Cell phone satillites, GPS navigation, and global communications really haven't shown them that yet. You and I know about them, but they don't generally show up in people's everyday lives the way that makes them sit up and take notice. They don't care how the weather satillite picture came from. They don't care about how their GPS works. They don't care about how their cell phone connects. They just want it to work. They don't care how it works, or if it involves satillite technology.

But, space tourism will get them thinking about it. And that's a major victory at this point in our history.