Q1.

Space Tourism Survey

In the near future it may be possible to buy a ticket and travel into space. Indeed, several people have already done so. We would like to know how much you are willing to pay for a trip into space, what kind of trip you might like to take, and how much risk you are willing to accept.

We will ask you two questions about each of three kinds of space trips one might take. There are no right or wrong answers. Please answer exactly what you really think and feel. After these questions there are some optional questions about you. Fee free to ignore these if you prefer. Here's the first trip:

Trip 1 lasts three to five hours with five other tourists and one staff member in a small capsule. You are rocketed into orbit hundreds of miles above the Earth, jammed into your seat by the acceleration in an adrenaline-pumping experience like no other. You will go around the world two or three times, each orbit taking about 90 minutes. Through small individual windows you will see the heavens and almost the entire Earth from your vantage point far above the clouds. You will experience continuous weightlessness as you move about the cabin in a whole new way. Amenities will be minimal: bottled water, cold finger food, no toilet but a way to urinate. There will be no privacy.

Here's a mockup of the kind of spacecraft used for Trip 1. Image credit SpaceX.

Q4. Trip 2 is a week in a space station/hotel. You will be rocketed into space on the same vehicle used for Trip 1 but instead of orbiting the Earth in a small capsule your spaceship will dock with a space station/hotel about the size of a small house shared by five other tourists, one staff member and two professional astronauts conducting research. You will spend a full week on board seeing the magnificent Earth below you and the heavens above through large windows suitable for multi-person viewing. You will become an expert on moving in micro-gravity particularly if you use the 0g sports equipment left behind by the space olympics.  For those who wish, there will be 0g pick-up games.  Amenities will be superior to Trip 1. There will be a 0g toilet, which will require training to use. There will be no shower, only sponge-bathing. Food will come in freeze-dried packets. While much of the facility will be for recreation, there will also be a module with scientific equipment and visitors may conduct research and charge for it. There will be one small room providing privacy on a time-share basis.

Q7. Trip 3 is a week in a large, luxurious space hotel. You will be rocketed into space on a large vehicle carrying up to 100 people. The vehicle will dock with a hotel the size of a large cruise ship with hundreds of passengers and a large crew to serve your every desire. There will be many large windows for viewing Earth and the heavens. The level of service will be comparable to a luxury cruise. Every guest party will have their own private room with a full bathroom including shower, maid and room service.  Fresh cooked food and ample drink will be available on request and at scheduled times.   The whole hotel will rotate slowly so that at the hull you will experience the equivalent of lunar gravity, enough to make everyday activities such as using the toilet and sleeping in a bed easy, but not enough to keep you from fantastic jumps and flying moves! There will be a large area near the axis of rotation for 0g play, art and sports including a cylindrical swimming pool where you can dive going straight up.  Private 0g rooms will be available. There will be music for low-g dancing, fantastic dance performances by professionals, lectures on space issues of interest, screenings of movies, and full integration into Earth's communication system. 

Q20.

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