The interest in the suborbital trips (100 km above the surface of the Earth) have grown steadily since the launch 20 years ago, but the market has basically exploded this year since the official announcement of the Mars mission. More low cost spacelines have entered the market and you can now find suborbital flights for as low as US$ 3,495.
Space tourism is one of the markets that have developed the most during the last decade, with the opening of the Starbright Hotel on the moon, as well as the low orbital hotels that started accepting guests. However, accommodation in space is still expensive for the average household, so the suborbital flights with thirty minutes weightlessness during the three-hour flight, with four hours preparation, will for some time be the most popular trip.
The spacelines might however in the future face fierce competition from space elevators, like the one that are projected for construction start within a couple of years. Once it is fully functional it will start to ship cargo to space, but it will as soon as possible accept passengers to get back the giant investment. Even though the elevator become successful, it will take several years before there will be more elevators in the world, to get in the competition for the space traffic with the spacelines.
Argument: Apart from the few tourists that already have been out in space, commercial space flights will soon be available for a broader public. Several organizations plan to put the first man on Mars by year 2030 and the launch window in January/February 2031 is possible. This combined will generate a great interest in the suborbital flights, which will lower the price.
Questions: What current tourist destinations/attractions will suffer from the development of space tourism? What activities will there be at the accommodations in space, for people to stay longer? How will the future interest in space tourism affect education and common knowledge about space among people?
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