Neil Armstrong’s historic moon landing in 1969 was a global sensation that demonstrated our capacity to travel beyond the earth. This historic event has aroused curiosity and fuelled the public’s interest in space, such as visiting the great unknown as a holiday destination.

In our current time, concepts that were formerly exclusive to science fiction are starting to become reality as the topic of space travel is being explored by entrepreneurs such as Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson.

Musk founded SpaceX in 2002 and it has since become one of the leading intergalactic companies in the world. At the time of writing, it has gained a net worth of $210bn, making the 53 year-old one of the richest people in the world. Alongside purchasing the social media website X (formally Twitter), he aims to use his fortune to give regular people the opportunity to experience outer space.

On the other hand, Virgin Galactic, which was founded in 2004 by British entrepreneur Richard Branson, wants space tourism to be a legitimate luxury.

Between September 2016 and June 2024, members of the public were able to board the VSS Unity – a suborbital rocket which allowed passengers to fly into the unknown to explore space. The experience gave passengers the opportunity to take in breath-taking views from around 80km above earth. The only negative is that tickets were priced at $250,000 – making this a rich person’s experience.

“It is kind of sad to see Unity fly on its last commercial flight, but our efforts are really working on the next generation,” said Nicola Pecile, a Virgin Galactic pilot.

Finally, Blue Origin, which was founded in 2000 by Jeff Bezos, the CEO of the world’s leading shopping website, Amazon, has a wider objective than SpaceX or Virgin Galactic.

What is the idea? Well, the billionaire is focusing on building the infrastructure needed to support human life in space. This involves constructing reusable rockets, spacecrafts and human habitats. It sounds far-fetched, but there is nothing stopping this becoming a reality.

Furthermore, astrophysicist, writer and science expert, Neil DeGrasse Tyson, is well known for his captivating views on space exploration. He gained broad recognition through his appearances on documentaries, TV shows and having written several books on astronomy.

Tyson has emphasised the value and argued in favour of scientific exploration. His passion for space has aroused public curiosity and added to larger discussions about space travel. He is one of the pioneers to have got regular people like you and I interested in space, with the topic being used in numerous blockbuster movies.

Flicks such as Apollo 13, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Interstellar and Passengers are just some of the few that have succeeded at the box office, and once again, got people talking about whether space exploration and tourism are viable options when spending leisurely time.

Conversations about space travel, astronomy and the possibility of human space missions have risen in recent years, and global events such as Felix Baumgartner’s freefall from the stratosphere into the United States in October 2012, also got the world talking.

In fact, people were so interested in the phenomenon that the stunt was streamed live on YouTube and broke the livestream record with an audience of 8mn.

The pros and cons

As the world continues to move forward with innovative ideas and technology, there is nothing stopping people in generations to come, from heading into the unknown as a leisurely experience.

We’re getting closer to history being made. Whilst this is exciting news, it also comes with its dangers.

Another main issue with many rockets, satellites and rovers is that they ultimately contribute to ‘space junk’.

This is the result of various scientific elements being sent to space for exploration and further research on other planets, stars and galaxies that never return to earth and end up floating in outer space, remaining vulnerable to excess emissions and toxic substances that could be released back to our atmosphere.

In addition to this, there are several hazards associated with space travel, such as the possibility of technical failures and radiation exposure. Space tourist safety is substantially at risk from spacecraft problems, such as poor navigation or communications systems.

In order to ensure the safety of crew and passengers, extra hazards like medical crises and cabin depressurization difficulties must be controlled properly. People on the spacecraft also face the danger of being exposed to high doses of cosmic radiation, which can raise their risk of cancer.

According to The Conversation, a new report from the foot Anstey LLP Space and Satellite team at the University of Surrey suggested that there is a lack of adequate protection for space tourists.

The publication reported how ‘exposure to elevated levels of ionising radiation, such as those possible during space weather events, can potentially cause damage to DNA. The risk of space travel therefore ranges from a minor increase in health defects to serious health implications such as cancers’.

Is touring space actually worth the hassle?

As we have mentioned before, there are many pros and cons to this unique ‘out of this world’ experience. It is an opportunity of a lifetime as going into the galaxy isn’t something you can do everyday, and with the solar system being so big, of course you’d be intrigued to know what is out there.

However, there are many issues in terms of pricing and the impact it could have on the environment that may delay plans for public space travel. It is quite literally up in the air but I believe in the long-term. Humans visiting space will be an achievable concept.