The news has recently seen a spike in interest in space travel, mostly by Billionaires bored by their regular vacations to the Maldives. Elon Musk is one of the older players in the game, with Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson being among the newer competition.
Bezos is about to set off on an excursion with his new aerospace company, Blue Origin. Questions have been raised about the ethics of Billionaire space travel, and what it aims towards, other than creating more waste outside of Earth’s atmosphere.
It has also deepened public resentment of Billionaires, pointing to the widening weath disparities in today’s economy, where the rich are exploring more vacation avenues while others are battling the climate crisis on Earth.
However, Kathy Leuders, who oversaw the development of Space X’s Crew Dragon, sees this as the initial phase of space travel. According to Kathy, the expenses occured in space travel will eventually be downsized to make it accessible to the larger public.
Sources:
https://www.theverge.com/2021/7/17/22573791/space-tourism-industry-bezos-branson-musk-billionaire-phase
https://indianexpress.com/article/technology/tech-news-technology/bezos-and-crewmates-prepare-for-inaugural-blue-origin-space-flight-7410742/
