We knew the day was coming, and it took place this week. Virgin Galactic is now open for business for interested space tourists.
Virgin Galactic’s “Galactic 02” mission brought six individuals into space on Thursday, which included three private passengers. Each of these passengers is believed to have paid between $250,000 to $450,000 per seat for the 90-minute experience. That’s about $2,800 per minute at the lower cost range.
Would I call then astronauts? Not really, and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) would agree. The criteria for a commercial astronaut are as follows:
To be eligible for FAA Commercial Space Astronaut Wings, commercial launch crew members must meet the following criteria:
a. Meet the requirements for flight crew qualifications and training under Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) part 460.
b. Demonstrated flight beyond 50 statute miles above the surface of the Earth as flight crew on an FAA/AST licensed or permitted launch or reentry vehicle.
c. Demonstrated activities during flight that were essential to public safety, or contributed to human space flight safety.
I doubt the three passengers met the criteria under c, nor would one expect them to on a fun 90-minute flight. That is fine, but if that’s the case then let’s retire the term astronaut for such tourists.
I am just glad Virgin Galactic is not interfering with actual space work and trying to put people aboard the International Space Station. That would be weird, right?
In the end, these space flights are glorified hot-air balloon rides for the wealthy. As long as they stay in their own lane (so to say), the skies should be open and friendly to all.
Our Awesome Universe 