Space Future has been on something of a hiatus of late. With the concept of Space Tourism steadily increasing in acceptance, and the advances of commercial space, much of our purpose could be said to be achieved. But this industry is still nascent, and there's much to do. So...watch this space.
Space Future's Patrick Collins has written the editorial for this week's Aviation Week and Space Technology. As always, he states that what passenger airline travel did for the 20th century, space tourism can do for the 21st.
At this moment, space tourist Denis Tito is experiencing a dream shared by millions--cozying up to the sight of Earth through his window. Tito leads the way in what will surely be a long line of adventure-seekers and space enthusiasts. For US$20 million, he received training, a trip to the International Space Station (ISS), and the right to say he did it first. But he gets something else in return for his money--criticism and antagonism.