A journey to space already sounds quite peculiar, but the most curious thing is that NASA itself could start offering space tourism. Just as we can now buy a low-cost airplane ticket to several destinations, in a few years from now, we may be able to book a seat on a NASA rocket to travel into space, although the cost will be much higher.
It’s nothing new that space tourism would be soon a very common adventure for wealthy people. Companies such as Virgin and SpaceX have long announced their plans to do so, and some passengers have even booked their ticket to be the first to have a vacation in Earth’s orbit. What’s remarkable is that NASA wants to offer commercial space travel, as well.
In addition to raising funds by selling seats on the ships, NASA also announced the possibility of starting to allow the use of their logo for commercial purposes, as well as the appearance of their astronauts in advertisements, all to boost the agency’s brand.
NASA wants to join space tourism
All of these space tourism initiatives that the US space agency revealed come after the White House showed its intentions to end direct funding for the International Space Station by 2025, passing it on to a private entity. Doubts about how they would raise funds emerged immediately, and the answer seems to be partly in offering private space travel.
All of this would facilitate the commercialization of space platforms.
For that to be possible, however, they will have to loosen the rules that prohibit NASA from supporting specific products or services. One way out seems to be to carry out space-related promotional activities that not only improve the US space agency’s image but also encourage young people to get into technological or scientific careers. Above all, NASA plans to join space tourism.
Vadim is a passionate writer on various topics but especially on stuff related to health, technology, and science. Therefore, for Great Lakes Ledger, Vadim will cover health and Sci&Tech news.