The Inspiration4 mission sent four civilians to space for three days. Though still funded by a billionaire, the mission is a step forward in the nascent space tourism industry.
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According to a new poll, people across political and demographic lines think the private space race is good for the future but still just an ego trip for the billionaires involved.
Sure, they’re billionaires, but the exploits of Richard Branson and Jeff Bezos have undeniably brought space tourism a step closer. That raises tricky legal, ethical and environmental questions.
Here’s what a space tourism industry led by Bezos, Branson and Musk might mean for the planet.
Sir Richard Branson’s successful spaceflight marks the beginning of a new chapter for space tourism.
Both Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin are sending spacecrafts – and their billionaire founders – into suborbital flight. But what differentiates a suborbital flight from a trip around Earth?
It wasn’t long after Jeff Bezos announced his plans to go to space that Sir Richard Branson joined in, setting a launch date to beat Bezos by nine days.
The first space tourist left Earth 20 years ago aboard a Russian rocket. Now, private companies like Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin are offering trips to the stars for those who can pay.
The first space tourist left Earth 20 years ago aboard a Russian rocket. Now, private companies are on the cusp of offering trips off Earth for those who can pay.
SpaceX’s launch of astronauts to the International Space Station will make it the first private company to launch humans to space. The effort has ramifications for NASA and spaceflight in general.
Although it has yet to fly any paying passengers and is currently loss making, Virgin Galactic aims to be profitable by 2021.
A brief line in the State of the Union address hints at an exciting year for commercial spaceflight companies in the US. After an eight year lull, US rockets will again carry astronauts into space.
With any type of human exploration, there are risks as we push boundaries, and there are inevitably mishaps and fatalities as a result. Space tourism is no exception.
Private companies are increasingly challenging national space agencies in a new space race, which comes with great opportunities but also huge risks.
Spaceports will pave the way for spaceplanes, helping scientists access space for medical research.
The president-elect’s taste for private jets could be just what the aviation industry needs.
We’re on the cusp of being able to consistently launch and land rockets, greatly reducing the cost of space travel. But how long before there’s a Millennium Falcon in every garage?
The turbocharged capitalism of private space flight is strangely at odds with the brotherly, generous global consensus that built the legal framework for extra-terrestrial travel.
Last week was a particularly grim one for private space flights. Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo crashed in the Mojave Desert, about 150km north of Los Angeles, killing a pilot, Michael Alsbury, and seriously…
Tragically, the experimental spaceplane SpaceShipTwo crashed in the Mojave desert during a test flight on Friday, killing one pilot and injuring another. It is not clear what went wrong, and the coming…
Top contributors
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Professor of Strategy and Security Studies, Air University
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Professor of Planetary and Space Sciences, The Open University
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Professor of Business Studies, Trinity College Dublin
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Neil Armstrong Chair and Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, The Ohio State University
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Former Academic Research Fellow, Khalifa University
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Emeritus Professor of International Law, Western Sydney University
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Professor in Robotics, Queensland University of Technology
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Reader (Associate Professor) in Law, University of Kent
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Associate Professor, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
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Professor of Aerospace Medicine and Rehabilitation, Northumbria University, Newcastle
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Associate Professor, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
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Senior Researcher, Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford
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Space Medicine Systematic Review Expert, Northumbria University, Newcastle
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PhD Candidate, Northumbria University, Newcastle
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Medical Education Tutor, Doctor and Researcher, The University of Melbourne
