I’ve just been in a discussion on the Artemis Societies digest in which one person bemoaned even after the commecial flight of Dennis Tito people still think of space as a “government thing”, an expensive thing. That attitudes haven’t changed…
Well I didn’t expect them to: at least not yet. Dennis was the very first commercial tourist and in the public’s mind his flight was a one off stunt. For most it’s already forgotten. “Tito who?” is the likely answer you’d elicit from the man or woman on High Street. But I’m more interested in the long term effect, the ‘meta-context’ as Perry puts it.
Imagine a little needle in everyone’s head, one scaled zero to ten on two opposite viewpoints. Day to day events move each person’s needle a tiny bit one way or another while not necessarily being remembered in their own right. Over the next few years that needle is slated for a steady push to the view of space as a place for Joe Bloggs as well as Buzz Lightyear.
At this moment I’m aware of three tourists who are going to fly within the next one to two years:
* Mark Shuttleworth – assigned to a mission
* Lori Garver – if she raises the money
* Lance Bass – NSync lead singer
I understand there are quite a few more serious customers in the queue.
To top it off, NASA’s new administrator has approved Barb Morgan, Teacher-in-Space Christa McAullife’s backup, to finally go up. She’s only been waiting 16 years for the go ahead.
We’re on the edge of a time when a continuos stream of the rich and famous, the energetic fund raisers and the lucky lotto gamblers will be travelling to the Space Station. It will be the “in thing”, the oughties thing to do. The place to see and be seen. It is going to be the punchbowl talk at the exlusive Hollywood parties. I can imagine gossip columnists will be overhearing snippets like, “oh yes, when I was up at the Station…”, “You just won’t believe what you can do in zero G”.
Is there anyone who thinks when Lance comes back down there won’t be space themes sneaking into his music? Artists mine their experience for their creativity. Kids are going to get songs about floating in zero G from singers who’ve been there and done that. This is going to go mainstream guys. Not filk: Top 40.
When Society and Celebrity news regularly cover People in space; when teenage girls read popstar mag articles about their heart throb idols while laying on their bed amidst walls plastered with posters of Lance Bass and others floating in space…
Where’s that little needle gonna go?
