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| Richard Branson: owner Virgin Galactic - |
THE VIEW THIS WEEK: Focusing
on happenings from last week, we explore the potentials of the space industry.
Current tests and attempts may speak otherwise, but a closer look would
illustrate how serious developments can stem from a functioning private space
travel sector. DURU CHIMEZIE, writes.
New reports emerging today (Monday, the 3rd of November)
unsurprisingly places the first blame for the colossal crash experience of the Virgin
Galactic Aircraft of 31st October, 2014, on the pilots that flew it. This is
coming after earnest investigations followed, in a bid to give answers to a
curious world who despite being promised a new fantasy frontier in the global space
sector, had just witnessed a second failure in the attempt at privately run missions;
the failure of a space-bound NASA Rocket on the 28th being the first within the
same week.
Most of those who have always only remembered the landmark forays
into outer space just on the accounts of the 1969 Neil Armstrong visit to the
moon, must now contentedly accept that the various potentials and possibilities
within the global space industry, has comfortably left them behind. We have
moved from just aiming to walk on the moon, to comfortably keeping about a
little less than a dozen people in constantly orbiting giant-space workstations.
Feeding and sustaining them right from here on earth through the entire period
of their mission. In fact, as I write, this only appears as some little feat
and in proof, privately owned programs are clamoring to be the first to flag
off various new project packages that will see any person who can pay enough,
to be taken to space on a tour, on what is being termed Space Tourism.
Space Tourism is space travel for recreational, leisure or
business purposes. Even though a number of start-up companies have sprung up in
recent years, such as Virgin Galactic and XCOR Aerospace (hoping to create a
sub-orbital space tourism industry), the opportunities have been expensive.
Russia being the only provider of such services to date, the limitations have always
been about the cost of both handling the development of technology that will
enable this to work feasibly, as well as that of purchasing the end product in
the form of recreational services. To give you a clue, the publicized price for
tour-flights to the International Space Station aboard a Russian spacecraft
were between US $20 - 40 million, during the period 2001-2009 when just 7 space
tourists made 8 space flights. Even though some companies have offered a
different approach in what they have preferred to call 'personal spaceflights',
it has failed to give a reasonable alternative, financially.
In spite of the seeming recent failure of the privately
operated space programs seen in the cases of Virgin Galactic in their recent
tests and the blown up NASA spacecraft bound for space, it is near impossible not
to admit that there are still very enticing capabilities which having this
around, will bring to an international lavish clientele. Even groups and
individuals that would feel they do not have the means to be part of the party,
will be eagerly willing to eat off from other usually ignored aspects of the
program. This is echoed in the words of a New Mexico official; whose state has been
a location for a launch station; he said spoke about how this program will not
only excite technological tendencies in young people but also create lots of
jobs for adults. This is of course very accurate and equally a direct
reflection of what world leaders who are being futuristic enough, can see as
another set of rationales to promote the technology within their climes.
Virgin Galactic are still being very positive with going on
in their research, tests and development. The man behind it, Richard Branson
did recently reiterate his desire to still have himself and his family as the
first ever 'space tourists', as an indication that he still keeps his faith in
the process. This is also a sign of positive doggedness, a good trait to own in
a period like the one he and his development team are currently facing.
I feel the future is in space. One cannot but wonder so much about
a world where travel between earth and any of her sister planets or even the
moon would be as simple as visiting your closest neighbour. Pair that with the
often glorious sights of the stars and the distant universal lights and then
tell me why you wouldn't rather have your vacations in space.
Duru Chimezie is the Chief Moderator at 360talkatives.
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