| Apollo
11 Astronaut, “Buzz” Aldrin who drove the lunar
wagon on the first moon landing (1969) declares “We
are today where the Wright Brothers were in 1903”.
A century of advances in aviation technology and mass tourism
have changed our global perceptions. Increased transportation
speed in relation to distance has both shortened travel
time and increased our travel range. Mankind has roamed
our earth, conquered its highest mountain and explored the
ocean depths. The next travel challenge is our last “frontier”:
SPACE. The scientific challenges of this 21st century travel
frontier are minimally three-fold: to develop the technology
to travel and ultimately to live beyond the limits of the
earth’s atmosphere; to encourage the social sciences
to match the scientific advances in aeronautics, astrophysics,
and space medicine; and to strive for international accord
in the occupancy and development of cosmic space. This article
addresses the state-of-the-art in space tourism at the millennium;
the historical stimuli that created a potential market of
a million or more passengers, and some physical and psychological
issues of extra-planetary hosts and guests. This is the
first time a “host population” will be created,
to staff space hotels, and initially “guests”
must be screened for their aptitude and ability to “tour”. |
