Space Tourism

[Buzz]

Richard Branson is set to go into space today. I am crossing my fingers and toes in hopes that all goes well. I so want space tourism be become a real thing and not just an idea. Good luck Mr. Branson!

 

[Buzz]

He did it!!! The flight was successful!

 

[genevieve]

I so want space tourism be become a real thing and not just an idea.

I find the ultra-wealthy playboy space race really revolting on so many levels.

 

[clairecloutier]

It doesn't seem like the right time for space tourism IMO, when the U.S. has yet to even reestablish regular manned NASA space travel since the end of the space shuttle (except on foreign rockets). And the spectacle of billionaires competing for personal space time, while the rest of us down on earth watch, seems, uhh, more than a bit hubristic and elitist.

 

[once_upon]

It's testosterone with money. It's disgusting

 

[MacMadame]

It's testosterone with money. It's disgusting

It is testosterone with money but I find it more interesting than disgusting. Plus having competitors makes Elon Musk mad and that's always a win in my book.

 

[once_upon]

I think there are trillions of things they could do that would benefit this world rather than play King of the mountain. They never grew up to be responsible adults

 

[millyskate]

Of all the things they could do with their money, this one is probably not the worst and I do find it quite interesting. At the same time, it’s hard when so much money could solve a number of problems in the world.

 

[allezfred]

It's absolutely immoral with all the things they could choose to do with their money that they do this.

 

[Japanfan]

Perhaps I've ready too many fantasy and sci-fi works, but I believe that in future space travel will be available to many. Perhaps we'll even colonize another planet, although neither will happen in my lifetime.

 

[clairecloutier]

I liked this take: https://twitter.com/AnandWrites/status/1414579332136194051

 

[once_upon]

Yeah if we are worried/concerned about the climate crisis, let's applaud/celebrate the use of thousands of tons of fossil fuel to fly a self absorbed spoiled billionaire who doesn't pay taxes for a frivolous 45 minute trip to space.

 

[VGThuy]

I liked this take: https://twitter.com/AnandWrites/status/1414579332136194051

I like The Onion’s too even though I’m not sure if it can be satire if it’s most likely true:

Study Finds 70% Of Americans Have Less Than $1,000 Saved To Go To Space​

​

Without generational wealth, the average American would have to rely on taking out a huge loan or receiving assistance from a government-funded program like NASA.” At press time, Porter added that the study also found most American parents hadn’t even started saving for their children’s trips to space.

 

[ballettmaus]

Yeah, it's fun but I don't think we need it, it's irresponsible considering the fragile state of the planet and if billionaires don't know what else to do with their money, I'm sure there are many people who are happy to give them a long list. (Help with renewable energy, feed children, disease research, pay their workers fair wages, pay proper taxes, just to name a few things).

 

[sk8pics]

I feel the same way that many of you have indicated, but I am hoping that some good may come out of it, advances in technology for example, similar to when the U.S. and U.S.S.R were in the first race to space.

 

[Artistic Skaters]

Except NASA and real astronauts were looking at scientific issues, not offering an amusement park ride alternative for the wealthy and irresponsible. Spare me their carbon footprint talking points when they gladly waste all that fuel and other natural resources for joyriding and selfish consumption. Roll down the spaceship window so they can throw out all of their one use plastics and ruin some more of the universe while they gallivant through space to experience their fifteen minutes of weightless flotation.

 

[Winnipeg]

America is a free country and he can spend his money how he sees fit?!

I understand NASA was involved to some extent so any engineering advancements would be shared.

How is it different from him spending millions on a Never Never Land a la Jackson or some other "rich person's toy?"

 

[MacMadame]

I remember when it was announced that the US would send a man to the moon and people said similar things about how it was a waste of money with so many other more pressing problems we could use that money for. It seems to be a common refrain for these sorts of programs.

For myself, I think the following:

-something is wrong with our economic system that we can end up with so many people living in poverty while a CEO can make 300x what his entry-level workers make. This is an important problem to solve but whatever today's current billionaires spend their money on isn't going to change the system. That requires other levers

-spending money just to advance our understanding of the world even if there aren't immediately obvious benefits is okay

-anyone who has so much money that they can't spend enough to stop their wealth from growing ridiculously has too much money. (I'm talking about having so much money that you can't even spend the interest it generates, not about having some decent sources of income to give you a nice cushion in your old age.)

-I would rather these guys spend their money on a space program than on under-aged sex slaves and other things that leave the world in a horrible place and hurt people

 

[VGThuy]

-I would rather these guys spend their money on a space program than on under-aged sex slaves and other things that leave the world in a horrible place and hurt people

I'm sure they diversify their spending.

 

[hanca]

I find it quite hypocritical for so many people to be criticising this. It was his own money; he can do whatever he wants to with it. If we are so worried about the climate change, are we going to stop using cars and planes? Do we know for sure that his short trip made more damage than what we do when we use cars every day and fly abroad for holidays? I can’t see anyone here saying that they will cancel their holidays to do their bit for the climate change.

 

[jenny12]

If Richard Branson can afford to use his own money to play space cadet, then why did he plead for the government to bail out Virgin?

 

[maatTheViking]

I'm not sure why space flight is much more extravagant than other extravagant things - I find this much more interesting than owning an American Football team - a thing which also doesn't really do anything "useful". You might as well say all the money spend on NFL could be used to solve the homeless crises.

I think, tbh, the anger is misdirected. The issue is the fact that they are even ABLE to amass this kind of money, not what they spend it on. Even if they someone spend it on philanthropy, I still think it's wrong; a single person should not have such a big say on how to solve any crisis.

I can see how the fossil fuel makes this worse in some ways, and do I agree with that.

with that said though - ever since I was a kid I've dreamt of going to space, seeing space. I don't know if it will be feasible to go to space as a regular person in my lifetime, but I do dream. and frankly, if I had billions and billions of dollars, maybe I would spend it on this.

 

[Artistic Skaters]

Do we know for sure that his short trip made more damage than what we do when we use cars every day and fly abroad for holidays? I can’t see anyone here saying that they will cancel their holidays to do their bit for the climate change.

Yes, I definitely know his "short" trip made significantly more damage than my (very limited) car use and holiday travels since I flew my first ecology flag in the 1970s. Further it seems for the most part you do not have the details needed to make any kind of real assessment of who here is hypocritical and who is not.

There is a big difference to me between a public program like NASA doing scientific space research to seek improvements for all mankind and a private business endeavor created to offer frivolous services to a limited few using an overabundance of natural resources we all must share. It's not like NASA couldn't have made improvements in many areas, but these private programs can do whatever they want when it comes to overconsumption of resources with little regulation. It's seems like the same kind of corporate mindset that expanded single use plastic bottles from something reserved for emergencies & individuals with medical conditions to convenience marketing for everyday households and sports events when there are environmentally friendly options available. Besides tapping into community water resources in many areas that really need to watch water conservation, they could care less if all their plastic is crapping up the oceans as long as they can keep the income flowing. Those companies do whatever they want with their money too.

 

[Japanfan]

For myself, I think the following:

-something is wrong with our economic system that we can end up with so many people living in poverty while a CEO can make 300x what his entry-level workers make. This is an important problem to solve but whatever today's current billionaires spend their money on isn't going to change the system. That requires other levers

This is a very salient point.

I also think it's interesting to consider that way that people, as society, support such wealth discrepancies. Maybe not in this case in particular, but in general. For example, we flock to the movies, but complain about the wealth celebrities make. We flock to various sporting events, in some case spending ridiculous amounts of money just for a ticket to the game.

When I see pictures/videos of the homes of the wealth, I am often really . I can't imagine ever wanting such a huge and lavish home, with oodles of acreage. I think I'd find it quite lonely to be cut off from the world in that way so much of the time. It's all about status and privilege.

 

[manhn]

I could not name an owner of an NFL team if my life depended on it. For me, this space travel nonsense led by billionaires would be like them buying team and putting themselves on the team, like the field goal kicker position.

 

[once_upon]

Its like the man with the most toys...still dies at the end of the day.

Space travel, even NASA flights, never made any sense to me.

 

[MacMadame]

I could not name an owner of an NFL team if my life depended on it.

Jerry Jones.

 

[hanca]

Yes, I definitely know his "short" trip made significantly more damage than my (very limited) car use and holiday travels since I flew my first ecology flag in the 1970s. Further it seems for the most part you do not have the details needed to make any kind of real assessment of who here is hypocritical and who is not.

There is a big difference to me between a public program like NASA doing scientific space research to seek improvements for all mankind and a private business endeavor created to offer frivolous services to a limited few using an overabundance of natural resources we all must share. It's not like NASA couldn't have made improvements in many areas, but these private programs can do whatever they want when it comes to overconsumption of resources with little regulation. It's seems like the same kind of corporate mindset that expanded single use plastic bottles from something reserved for emergencies & individuals with medical conditions to convenience marketing for everyday households and sports events when there are environmentally friendly options available. Besides tapping into community water resources in many areas that really need to watch water conservation, they could care less if all their plastic is crapping up the oceans as long as they can keep the income flowing. Those companies do whatever they want with their money too.

I do not plan to make any assessments of who is hypocritical and who isn’t. I don’t know and don’t care how much each individual on this forum spends on items that could be considered luxurious, but I do know that the same way as we look at some billionaire spending money for things that are financially out of reach for the average person, the same way someone struggling on the poverty line is looking at the middle class spending money for things that are out of reach for that person. That includes holidays abroad, flying across the pond to go to Europeans/worlds etc.

 

[allezfred]

Richard Branson asked Virgin Atlantic staff to take 8 weeks unpaid leave.

He also asked British taxpayers to bail him out, despite Virgin Atlantic being registered for tax in the British Virgin Islands.

Maybe he should pay his staff properly instead of going on a jolly into space?

 

[antmanb]

Richard Branson asked Virgin Atlantic staff to take 8 weeks unpaid leave.

He also asked British taxpayers to bail him out, despite Virgin Atlantic being registered for tax in the British Virgin Islands.

Maybe he should pay his staff properly instead of going on a jolly into space?

I was coming to post exactly this. I'd have preferred him be fired into space and not come back. The man is a fcuking parasite.