It is a widely known and debated topic that, as technology advances, it has become absolutely common to see upgraded versions of every existing technology within a very short timeframe. The advancement of technology is due to various reasons. Multidisciplinary approaches are increasing rapidly, which means creating a product using different fields, and the newly invented technology is not apart from this. And the advancement in technology has had a great impact on space research, thus increasing the advancements in space exploration and creating more chances for space tourism, a new term that is experiencing huge uplift. Space tourism’s future, as well as our progress on and off our home planet, will be influenced by a few key trends and the development of technology, both of which play a crucial role in increasing the number of tourists visiting space.
Advancements that are taking place in space exploration
i) Upcoming missions in 2023
NASA is preparing new space missions to investigate Jupiter and our moon. One of the lunar missions is anticipated to launch in the early months of 2023. A NOVA lander will travel to the Vallia Schroteri region of the moon as part of the Intuitive Machines 1 (IM-1) mission. Radio astronomy, lunar surface interactions with space weather, and plume surface interactions will all be studied with the IM-1-NOVA. The hexagonal, towering NOVA-C lander will display navigational nodes and precise landing technology.
Also scheduled for the first quarter of 2023, Peregrine Mission 1 (PEREGRN-1) will send scientific payloads to the moon. The scientific objectives will include investigating the thermal properties of the lunar exosphere, solar arrays, the abundance of hydrogen in the lunar regolith, magnetic fields, and the radiation environment. In 2023, there will also be an exciting expedition to the stars with an incredible chance to find life. The Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) will fly by Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto multiple times. The study of Jupiter and its system, particularly Ganymede as a planet and potential habitat, is the objective here. Along with many other investigations, the ocean layers will be characterised and the icy crusts’ physical properties studied.
ii) the inaugural commercial space station
In order to better understand how space travel affects the human body, we participated in scientific studies as human subjects. As the first of NASA’s three phases of its Artemis Mission was launched in the fall, the significance of this momentous year continued to grow. The agency’s deep space exploration system was tested in November 2022 after five years of preparation. The 25.5-day, 1.3-million-mile voyage laid the groundwork for future lunar exploration. Artemis II is scheduled to fly in 2024 and will be the farthest crewed spacecraft ever sent.
Iii)Ax-1 success leads to ax-2 and beyond.
The Ax-1 project, the first all-private mission, was a significant milestone for private businesses hoping to enter the space exploration market.As the first of several planned missions, it was also a significant step for the Axiom Station.NASA has also committed to sending a second all-private crew to the ISS in the spring of 2023, building on its success. Axiom Space and SpaceX have joined forces to launch the Ax-2 mission, which will send four individuals to spend ten days on the ISS.
The advancement of space tourism
It is true that the year 2020 brought about a collective retreat and a FOMO (fear of missing out) that motivated us to escape a chaotic world. We have the peace and quiet of nature for the time being or a trip abroad, but the future may offer a more adventurous escape: one of a kind. The space tourism market, which is expected to grow to at least $3 billion by 2030, is the focus of the NewSpace industry. Other private companies, such as Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin, are investing in suborbital space tourism to take Earthlings to the very edge of space and back, while SpaceX is testing reusable rocket technology to make spaceflight more affordable and accessible to humans. Space tourism will only be available to extremely wealthy passengers and private researchers in the near future, but the long-term holds promise for ordinary citizens.
Suborbital Trips: An Introduction
Space tourism’s commercial suborbital travel subsector is likely to emerge first, but it may also be the most short-lived. However, Blue Origin, which is backed by Jeff Bezos, is testing its New Shepard system, which will take passengers to the outer limits of space in a capsule that separates from a small rocket and returns to Earth via parachutes. Virgin Galactic, run by Richard Branson, uses a space plane that is dropped from a carrier aircraft and has a rocket motor that accelerates it and lifts passengers into the atmosphere. The shuttle systems of both businesses are made to take passengers more than 50 miles above the atmosphere of the Earth, allowing passengers to briefly feel weightless. As Blue Origin targets early 2021, Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo will launch its next human spaceflight test on December 11.
These brief spaceflights offer unique experiences for space observation at various trajectories and regulatory requirements, as well as opportunities for tourism and scientific research. Axios, on the other hand, cites concerns that the public’s interest in suborbital tourism has diminished as a result of high costs and a fleeting experience.
As passengers await new developments in the field, this may depress the market. However, there is hope. Commercial suborbital flights are being considered by some experts as a potential alternative to long-distance air travel that will eventually be accessible to regular citizens. SpaceX intends to transport 100 people around the globe in just a few minutes using its Starship rocket. According to the company, a flight from New York to Shanghai that normally takes 15 hours could be completed in 39 minutes. UBS says that returns could skyrocket to $20 billion per year at today’s value if even 5% of the 150 million passengers who travel on flights longer than 10 hours pay $2,500 per trip.
Finally, the knowledge we get from space travel and exploration is priceless, and its legacy is crucial. The opportunities for study are growing as commercial firms are now granted access to space. The Rakia mission crew is still committed to advancing space research and ensuring that it benefits all of humanity. We encourage dedication to global partnerships, and I’m thrilled to see how the mission is inspiring a new generation to dream big. All the advancements in technology are helping in the development of every other field in one way or other.
