![]() “If we solely try to use, say, the atmosphere (as a measure), well there are not clear boundaries. “Now that we are in this era of commercial space tourism, suddenly people want to know where is because they want to know that what they did was really good enough.”Īustralian National University astronomer Brad Tucker says the question is both interesting and tricky. This comes from the ‘spinoff’ and ‘spillover’ effects, where ambitious projects fuel technological developments that spread into other uses and industries. Our very phones depend on it.īrown also points to estimates that the Apollo missions had an impressive return on investment – as much as $17 for every $1 spent. It’s not like Formula 1 racing, he says, which the world can do without. Beyond the hype and PR stunts, these are three of the shrewdest business people in the world.” “But space is so essential – you can’t afford to view it as a luxury at all. They ask: why are you doing this when there are problems to solve on Earth?Ĭue the new space race! A succession of billionaires are launching themselves into space in a new competition that raises the same questions: is this just a flagrant waste of money, or a vanguard move? “But I think it comes from those people who view space as a luxury or a frivolity, not as something that’s essential. Rich people subsidised it until it became ubiquitous enough to be accessible to all – and indispensable. James Brown, chief executive officer of the Space Industry Association of Australia, likens it to air travel in the early days. Filling out the rich-list triumvirate is Elon Musk, who will soon reportedly fly on Branson’s craft, rather than with his own SpaceX ship. Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson went first ( or did he?), pipping Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos by a week and a bit. ![]() And a succession of billionaires are launching themselves into space in a new competition that raises the same questions: is this just a flagrant waste of money, or a vanguard move? “Only time ( and public opinion) will tell.”Ĭue the new space race! Nations are lining up to send spacecraft to the Moon, and planning crewed missions – even on to Mars. “So did we have the last laugh, or will we see people step onto the Moon again within our lifetime?” they wrote. The article finished by questioning whether humans would ever again walk on the lunar surface. In 2019, on the 50 th anniversary of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin’s Moon landing, New Scientist addressed its own historic opposition, and its claims that the Apollo missions were exercises in “ prestigious prancing”. Back in the 1960s, a good proportion of Americans didn’t think it was a good idea to go to the Moon: 47% of them thought it wasn’t worth the government’s money, which would be better spent on their home planet.
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