There are just under two months left until the start of what is, for many, the most beloved season – summer. Have you already chosen your vacation destination for this year? If not, allow me to present a rather unusual one – space. Let me share a more specific offer. A commercial space company is offering a short flight at an altitude of about 100 kilometers, to the internationally recognized boundary of space, known as the Kármán line. The price for this journey is a modest 250,000 dollars per person, but if you’re lucky, you might snag a last-minute deal with a discount.
If you’re interested in a more exclusive adventure, a trip to the International Space Station (ISS) is highly recommended. This is a longer journey, at an altitude of around 400 kilometers, and the price tag is 55 million dollars.
If you choose to go with a more accessible and familiar destination this year, I completely understand and support you – I’ve made a similar choice myself. However, while we await our vacations, new adventures, and memories to be made, let’s take a moment to explore space tourism. Who knows, it might one day become our travel destination of choice.
When Did Space Tourism Begin?
It’s been quite some time since space tourism was confined to the realm of science fiction. The first private citizen to travel into space was American businessman Dennis Tito, who began his journey on April 30, 2001. Although NASA was skeptical, Russia made his flight possible via the Soyuz rocket, which reached the International Space Station. Subsequent trips took place in 2002, 2005, and 2006.
The commercialization of space tourism is supported by the ambitious plans of several companies, which are announcing the development of suborbital spacecraft – vehicles that allow passengers to experience a brief time in space without entering orbit around Earth. There are also plans to build orbital cities – space stations that could function as hotels, research centers, or even long-term residences, constantly circling our planet.
Although space tourism has the potential to become a profitable new industry, there are challenges to its full realization, such as passenger safety and the development of reliable, reusable launch technology.
The Challenge – Negative Environmental Impact
This topic certainly offers plenty of fascinating angles to explore, but what remains most important in my view is – its environmental impact.
Research I’ve come across shows that rockets release large amounts of water vapor into the upper layers of the atmosphere, which can contribute to warming, especially because these layers naturally contain very little moisture. In addition, rocket exhaust gases convert nitrogen into nitrogen oxides – powerful greenhouse gases that remain in the stratosphere and mesosphere for extended periods. The climate effects of these gases are still not fully understood. Interestingly, some scientists jokingly refer to these high altitudes as the “ignorosphere,” pointing out our limited understanding of pollution consequences at these levels.
A particular challenge is the black carbon (soot) left behind by rockets. Although it makes up a small portion of total emissions, it can remain in the stratosphere for up to four years. Its negative impact lies in absorbing sunlight and releasing it as heat, further warming the air.
Currently, rocket traffic produces about two percent of the emissions of the aviation industry. However, the rapid development of space tourism could significantly increase that percentage and its climate impact. Moreover, studies indicate that black soot could slow air circulation and damage the ozone layer, which has only recently started to recover.
That’s why space tourism, although young and full of potential, must invest in sustainability. Journeys to the stars must not outshine the most important star of all – our planet Earth, which remains the only true home we have.
Katarina Vuinac
