Human development has been extended beyond the Earth owing to the success of cosmic missions. In this sense, some believe people will have an opportunity to travel to outer space in the future. In my opinion, this is a negative phenomenon for two main reasons.
The first reason has to do with exorbitant costs along with the inefficiency of spaceships. Since advanced technology and rare materials are required to build these spacecraft, they can prove prohibitively expensive. It was recently reported that a typical rocket can cost as much as 2 billion dollars, an illustration of how expensive space tourism can be. As for the inefficiency argument, these rockets are, more often than not, disposable due to their inability to land successfully. Therefore, they are usually made to fall into deserts and oceans. More to the point, heavy materials used in them can harm the environment, so they should be buried after landing.
The travellers’ safety is another crucial concern. This form of tourism can be lethal due to the growing presence of space debris, which can cause catastrophic collisions. In 2009, for instance, an inactive Russian satellite collided with a communication satellite of the US, scattering a large number of fragments floating around the atmosphere. This example goes to explain that the growing number of these accidents poses a risk of fatal crashes mid-flight and that crew members’ and travellers’ lives are constantly in danger. Furthermore, exposure to radiation can cause various health issues such as a high risk of cancer and damage to DNA. The symptoms of these diseases are noted in astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS), who are exposed to higher levels of radiation than people on the Earth. Although the duration of suborbital space tourism will be relatively short, it can pose these health risks considering the future development of the industry.
In conclusion, I argue that the establishment of suborbital tourism will be disadvantageous as far as budgetary and safety reasons are concerned.