First Tourist Heading for Mars

Patrick has now two years of training ahead of him to get ready for the trip. Not only will he spend five months in getting to Mars, but another 600 days there before he can go back home. Patrick was of course very excited: “This has been my dream since I was four, and seeing the first man on Mars 20 years ago made me realize that it was possible.”

To be able to pay the US$ 1.3 billion for his ticket for the trip Patrick sold his majority stake in the business empire his father had built. “I know that my father would have been proud of me if he had still been alive today, he knew what this means to me”, says Patrick. There is no risk though that you will find Patrick begging in your street corner when he comes back, rumors says that he was paid twice as much for his part of the company.

So, how is he going to spend his 600 days on the red planet? “Well, since I don’t have a job when I get back after selling the company, I have plenty of time to come up with a new business idea”, he says and laughs. If he brings a shovel he can start building the first hotel there, but maybe he shouldn’t expect too many guests until someone can offer a lower transfer fare.

Argument: Several organizations plan to put the first man on Mars by year 2030 and the developing of space tourism during the next decades will give the possibility of bringing “tourists” to Mars. According to Nasa the most likely way to go will be a “Long-Stay Mission (fast transit)” with 4-6 months to get there and a 600 days stay before returning.

Questions: What possibilities will occur due to the exploration of Mars this century? Will Mars become a tourist destination in the future although you have to stay for 600 days before you can return to earth?