Welcome to Space Future. This site is for everyone who wants to go to space.
Learn about Space Tourism, see some of the proposed Space Vehicles, find out about the legal, medical, and environmental aspects of our Space Habitat, or discover the potential of Space Power.
Visit the Archive of papers and publications or browse the Space Future Journal for current news and features.
About Space Future
Radio interviews with Space Future's founders and correspondents:
- Patrick Collins
The Space Show #1000
August 2008 [MP3] - Patrick Collins
The Space Show #300
January 2005 [MP3] - Gail Leatherwood
The Space Show #245
August 1 2004 [WMA] - Patrick Collins
The Space Show #100
March 2003 [WMA] - Peter Wainwright
The Space Show #98
February 2003 [WMA] - Patrick Collins
The Space Show #1
June 2001 [WMA]
KEY DOCUMENTS
Here are some key documents from the archive to get you started:
- What the Growth of a Space Tourism Industry Could Contribute to Employment, Economic Growth, Environmental Protection, Education, Culture and World Peace
- Space Tourism Market Demand and the Transportation Infrastructure
- General Public Space Travel and Tourism
- Artificial Gravity and the Architecture of Orbital Habitats
- Prospects of Space Tourism
More Documents
| Published: | October 2002 |
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| Origin: | IAC-02-IAA .1.2.08. 53rd International Astronautical Congress, The World Space Congress, Houston, Texas, 1019 October 2002 |
| Abstract: | In recent years, several research efforts have found out that the opportunity cost of capital of a commercial space tourism venture will be relatively high (~18%). The proposed infrastructure for orbital space tourism, at least a commercial, passenger- carrying launch vehicle to begin with, will probably cost up to several billion dollars. To raise such sums as part of a private venture and still make it profitable afterwards seems to be virtually impossible. One possible route out of this dilemma is to minimize the required up-front investment by beginning with a downsized project. This would just offer suborbital flights for space tourists. In 2001, rocketfinance.com was asked to develop the respective financing model for such a venture. This paper presents the results of that research effort. It has been concluded that a commercial `X-Prize '-type vehicle could be developed and brought to operating capability for under $100 million while still returning up to 35% (IRR), given that the vehicle's time-to-market is kept to a minimum. |
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| Keywords: | Tourism:Business |
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