IN FOCUS
KEEP YOUR FEET ON THE GROUND
Not all space experiences require clients to get airborne. Amateur
astronomers should visit Florida’s Space Coast, which is gearing up to host more than 80
From far left: experiencing weightlessness; Blue Origin lift-off; Virgin Galactic; Page 27: Zephalto
has a bar, bathroom and Wi-Fi. GTC has reserved three pods, as well as one seat on the inaugural mission in 2025, totalling 25 seats – of which 16 are already sold. Space Perspective is also among
RocketBreaks’ top-performing product, though the challenge is converting enquiries into bookings. “We have lots of people making noise about booking, but until they see it going up and working, people are reluctant to part with their cash, no matter how much they have,” says co-founder David Doughty. RocketBreaks hopes to have its first client in space by the end of 2024. “We’re still about 18 months away [from viable commercial space travel] – 2027 to 2029 will be the growth years,” Doughty says.
A bright future A bona fide space travel industry might be upon us, but experts are quick to stress that this is still an incredibly young market. “A lot of companies get private funding,
build a flashy website and show you a lot of CGI, but don’t have [any product yet],”
Doughty says. “That’s why a space travel agent should exist because you can match the right person to the right experience, and set the expectations on timeframes.” Rebecca Puttock, founder of independent agency Wanderlux, who helps facilitate specialist-led expeditions with astronauts as well as space camps at luxury hotels including Como Maalifushi, agrees. “There’s a danger behind over-promising and potentially under-delivering,” she says. “Lots of adjustments need to happen before clients can actually experience what they’ve always dreamt of.” Still, it’s an incredibly hard proposition
to ignore. Last year, Grand View Research valued the global space tourism market at $695 million. The report added that the industry – expected to expand at an annual growth rate of 40% from 2023 to 2030 – is growing “at a tremendous rate”. In a promotional video for Virgin Galactic ahead of its recent spaceflight, pilot Nicola Pecile summarises: “We are just at the very beginning. You can only imagine where we will be in 100 years.”
rocket launches this year. Guests can enjoy a new attraction at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, Visit Gateway (pictured), where they can walk among ë>Vi‑yoÜn ÛihiVliÃ] explore extraterrestrial habitats and take a yi}hÌ on immiÀÃiÛi Ài`i Spaceport KSC. Another add-on experience, Fly With An Astronaut, sees fellow explorers join an astronaut on a guided tour of the Visitor Complex and behind the gates of the Kennedy Space Center.
aspiretravelclub.co.uk
JUNE 2023 ASPIRE 29
CREDIT: VIRGIN GALACTIC
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