SpaceX is a leading company in the aerospace industry, founded by entrepreneur Elon Musk in 2002. The company has made significant strides in space exploration and has been involved in numerous missions to the International Space Station (ISS) and beyond. However, despite their many achievements, there is still some confusion about whether SpaceX is a space tourism company.
So, is SpaceX a space tourism company? The answer to this question may not be as straightforward as it seems.
While SpaceX has not explicitly marketed itself as a space tourism company, it has made plans to offer civilian flights to space. In 2018, the company announced that it had signed up its first passenger for a trip around the moon on its Big Falcon Rocket (BFR).
What is SpaceX’s main goal?
It’s important to note that SpaceX’s primary focus is not on space tourism. The company’s mission statement reads: “SpaceX was founded under the belief that a future where humanity is out exploring the stars is fundamentally more exciting than one where we are not. Today SpaceX is actively developing the technologies to make this possible, with the ultimate goal of enabling human life on Mars.”
In other words, SpaceX’s main focus is on developing technologies that will enable humans to live and work in outer space. While they do plan on offering civilian flights in the future, it’s only a small part of their overall mission.
What are SpaceX’s plans for civilian flights?
SpaceX has announced plans to launch its BFR rocket into orbit around the moon with passengers aboard. In September 2018, Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa was revealed as the first passenger aboard the BFR.
The trip around the moon has been scheduled for 2023 and will take approximately one week to complete. Maezawa plans on inviting artists from various disciplines (such as painters, musicians, and writers) to join him on his journey and create works inspired by the experience.
It’s worth noting that the cost of these flights will be extremely high (Maezawa reportedly paid an undisclosed amount for his ticket), making them out of reach for most people. Additionally, it’s unclear if SpaceX has any plans to offer shorter, more affordable trips to space in the future.
Conclusion
So, is SpaceX a space tourism company? While the company has plans to offer civilian flights to space, it’s not their main focus. Their primary goal is to develop technologies that will enable humans to live and work in outer space, with the ultimate aim of colonizing Mars.
While it’s exciting to think about the possibility of civilian space travel becoming a reality in the near future, it’s important to remember that these trips will likely be exclusive and expensive. For now, we can continue to marvel at the incredible achievements of companies like SpaceX as they push the boundaries of what we thought was possible in space exploration.