Survey of Upcoming Space Tourism Ventures and Ideas
- Paper number
IAC-10.E6.3.2
- Author
Mr. Shen Ge, Texas A&M University, United States
- Coauthor
Mr. Daniel Charles, Texas A&M University, United States
- Coauthor
Mr. Grant Atkinson, Texas A&M University, United States
- Year
2010
- Abstract
This paper is divided into two parts with the focus on business plan development as well as innovative ideas. The first part discusses the required investments, offered services, and operational plans of near-future space tourism projects currently under development by existing companies such as Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo, Bigelow Aerospace's BA 330, Excalibur Almaz's Almaz, etc. A comparison of their possible profitability based on results from surveys and responses from industry professionals is also conducted with the risks of each business venture clearly addressed. The second part of the paper presents new ideas for space tourism achievable within the next fifteen years that have not yet left the drawing board. Prospects of their profitability and overhead cost is discussed from a broad basis.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
(absent)