Spacenews.com is running a piece which is just wrong.
Not just wrong. It’s down right cynical.
Thus, even without adding all the difficulties of operating a reusable system, you don’t need to be a rocket scientist to understand that there can be no business case for space tourism. Most of the people who try to sell space tourism know this, but if you can sell a Ponzi scheme, why not space tourism?
Cynicism isn’t exactly a business model, either.
For whatever reason, they’ve decided that the efforts of a number of commercial space companies and NASA aren’t just incorrect in their assumptions about the cost of space tourism, but that it’s a hoax.
The article claims that it’s currently too expensive to get to orbit for the numbers to work out to profitability. As a space news outlet, notably- not a business news outlet, you’d think they would know that the commercial space companies are working hard to make the economic realities of the current space exploration a thing of the past by making rocket launches as inexpensive as possible.
In fact, the new commercial launch companies like SpaceX all have an immediate target at 1/10 the current launch cost- and they all say that’s nowhere near the end goal for the bottom costs.
As a space news outlet, they should be working to help make the dreams of generations of people come true, instead of nay-saying the innovators. If they don’t like what commercial space advocates are doing and feel compelled strenuously poo-poo their efforts, then they should at least attempt to do it with integrity.
You can play around with these figures, increasing the price or increasing the number of passengers in each flight, but you are still a long way from making price and cost meet.
Nitpicking hypothetical numbers is one thing, calling the entire idea a hoax goes beyond hyperbole.
They forgot about skill, cunning, innovation, breakthroughs, risk taking, inspiration, and genius.
Worst of all, they forgot about hope.
There are some new kids in town playing a new game and they better get used to it.
Evadot 
Will @Pomerantz from the X PRIZE Foundation notes that their “facts & figures” are actually wrong too. The authors of this opinion piece both worked for ESA in the launcher division. Perhaps they have ulterior motives for their disparaging remarks to a (presumably) American audience? In any case, they come from big government space programs. It's not surprising that they can't imagine affordable, regular access to space for all of us.
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“As a space news outlet, they should be working to help make the dreams of generations of people come true, instead of nay-saying the innovators.”Space news didn't write this op-ed piece — a commentator did. But, even if they did, it's not Space News' job to be a cheerleader — it's to be journalists. Unfortunately, the facts in the opinion piece are accurate — the costs are currently way out of line for any significant volume of paying passengers.If you aim to put down your subsidized toys (NASA) and play in the real world (the free market), you better not cry cynicism when someone gives you a dose of reality.I do agree that the final line: “To conclude, commercially balanced space tourism is neither for today, nor tomorrow, nor the day after tomorrow.” is pure horse poopy though. I would rather see orbital foundries though instead of orbital tourism.
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Heh. Dear cynics. Please poo with integrity. Love, Evadot.Agreed. No one ever did anything worthwhile by first claiming it couldn't be done. It's pretty telling when they resort to flame throwing. Con men? Really?
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Heh. Dear cynics. Please poo with integrity. Love, Evadot.Agreed. No one ever did anything worthwhile by first claiming it couldn't be done. It's pretty telling when they resort to flame throwing. Con men? Really?
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