Out of This World
Over 65,000 people have tried to get tickets for the ride of their lives. They want to go to outer space and become an offical space tourist. So far, only four people world wide have toured outer space each paying roughly 20 million dollars. A Chinese business man has paid $200,000 to become the first man from his country to become a space tourist. Virgin Galactic and Space Adventures travel agency are two of the companies that take private individuals into space. The journeys last around 2.5 hours and carry six passengers and two pilots, says the Virgin Galactic company. The company plans to launch ships from ports in New Mexico and California. The Space Adventures company plans to build spaceports in Singpore and the United Arab Emirates. Are people out of there minds to pay $20 million for a 2.5 hour tour? Is this business really going to be a success in the future?
7 comments:
Personally, I would never pay $20 million for a 2.5 hour tour. Even though it would be amazing to take a tour of outer space, there is no way I could afford to spend that much money. Most Americans would claim people are out of their minds to pay that much for the short tour. However, to some, the opportunity is worth the price. If you're only granted one life, you might as well take up as many opportunities as you can. In order for this business to be successful in the future, I think the price will have to go down. On the other hand, there are some people out there who would pay the high price. I guess the success will depend upon how much of a demand there is for a tour of outer space.
Perhaps it is because I am a pilot and an aviation enthusiast that I would be willing to pay the $20 million price tag. It seems to me to be a responsible expenditure when considering that so few have done it. As for the company's business model, I think in the coming years the sticker price of the joy ride will decrease and thus the number of persons riding will increase. What I'm interested in seeing is how in fifty years company's such as Virgin Galactic and Bigelow Aerospace are faring. I think that in the coming decades the price and technology will allow more people to pursue this amazing journey.
First of all it would be awesome to get to go to space! I thought only highly trained astronauts could do that. $20 million dollars is a huge amount of money to blow on 2.5 hours though. Most people, including myself, would never be able to afford that. But for the extremely rich people who can afford to dish out $20 million for a couple hours, its great. I consider a trip to outer space a once in a lifetime opportunity.
As amazing as taking a ride through space sounds, I cannot see myself,or most others even considering paying $20 million for the experience. If I actually had that much money, I believe I could find a worthier cause to put it towards than a 2.5 hour tour. But I do agree with the earlier comment that, in time, the price tag of the ride will decrease, allowing more to enjoy this opportunity. But, overall, I think it is a sad and selfish world where people with $20 million choose to put it towards their own pleasure rather than causes like medical reasearch and starving children.
People in today's society are constantly looking for an even more outragous thing to do, whether it be going sky diving, or going into space. Wait, I think the space thing is taking it a little far. It is just another thing to further prove that if you have money then you can pretty much do whatever you want for a price of course. On the other hand though I'm fairly sure that if you ask anyone living in the early to mid 1900's they would tell you that there is no way that can happen. Obviously though in today's world with a little money and courage you can do whatever you please. Do I think this will work? Maybe who knows but im sure there will always be someone willing to pay the price no matter how steep it gets. "With money all things are possible."
I think if these rich people want to pay 20 million dollars for a tour to space they should go. It’s their money and they definitely have the right to use it for their own pleasure. On the other hand, even if I became the next Bill Gates, I will never pay 20 million dollars to fly out to space for 2.5 hours. That’s just ridiculous. What is there to do in space? Observe how the earth is blue? I get enough satisfaction looking at how blue the earth is watching the discovery channel. I just think that there is enough things to do on this earth and a lot can be done with 20 million dollars. If I had 20 million dollars, I would use some of it for myself but I will find useful for example donating it to cancer research or something useful.
Yes people are out of their minds to spend that much money for a 2 1/2 hour tour of space, but if you have the money go for it if your interested in that sort of thing. And yes I think over the years this business will be a success because more people will start to do it so the price will start to lower and other things could happen to lower the price enough to spark even more interest in a space tour.
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