By Aashna Moorjani | National News
With SpaceX’s successful launch of NASA astronauts, Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley, to the International Space Station, a question arose: how can Elon Musk’s technology be applied commercially?
According to President Trump, the launch “makes clear the commercial space industry is the future.” The dream of regular humans, without years of study and training, taking vacations, or even colonizing space, no longer exists solely within science fiction.
Tom Cruise claiming he would like to film a movie in space would have been an absurdity mere days ago. This one launch, and its success, has changed space, closing the vast distance between it and the Earth. The significance cannot be understated.
Both Axiom Space and Space Adventures plan on using Space X’s now proven technology to take people on vacations in space. Perhaps instead of planning a family vacation to Hawaii, families will soon be able to take a trip into space, just like Behnken and Hurley.
That’s right. Everyday citizens, earning a middle-class income will now be able to suit up in their own sleek space suits for a trip into the galaxy, all while enjoying the luxury of space crafts built for pleasure, not merely functionality.
Forget about spending years in simulations, training to adapt your body to the harsh environment of space. And certainly don’t worry about having to spend years deepening your knowledge of science to prepare for the many things that may go wrong. Just book your spot, pack a bag, and you will be ready to go.
If science fiction books, movies, and TV shows have taught us anything, it’s that every attempt humans make to extend their reach into the galaxies will be successful, always working out well for the main characters. The future is bright. Prepare yourself for launch.