Who Will Be the First Space Virgins?
Posted on: Saturday, 2 October 2004, 06:00 CDT
You must have spent a week on the moon to be unaware that Sir Richard Branson wants to take you into space - providing you have pounds 115,000 to touch the edge of the unknown. His no-frills space flight works out at almost pounds 40,000 for every hour spent off the ground, or pounds 640 for each of the 180 seconds of weightlessness you will enjoy as you spin 100km above the earth (though be warned, zero gravity does not suit everyone's system). As a means of soaking up excessive wealth, the Virgin Galactic scheme has some merit. The venture brings mass space tourism one step closer; perhaps a century from now, visiting the moon will be commonplace. It will suit the breed of travellers who enjoy ticking off countries as though they comprised a laundry list. But the ultimate joy-ride fails to address any of the reasons that make travel a joy: meeting lots of interesting people, experiencing amazing cultures and seeing wonderful things.
When I learned of Branson's plan, my reaction was much the same as when I first visited Nashville and saw the full-size replica of the Parthenon: technologically you can do it, but why exactly would you want to? Vanity space travel is the ultimate waste of space.
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