This year, weve seen a rivalry between billionaires come to fruition as they forge their way into space. Composed of entrepreneurs like Richard Branson, Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk, the private industry-centric race to space involves sending projectiles to the ionosphere, orbital launch rockets and suborbital tourist space flightschanging the way that we think about space altogether.
We talked with three Temple experts to learn more about the impact that the race to space has had on space travel, education and technology, as well as the social implications of Branson, Bezos and Musk using their wealth in this way.
John Helferty(Courtesy of the College of Engineering)
John Helferty is an associate professor in the College of Engineering. His research focuses on rocketry and space engineering, including specific interests in remote controlled QuadCopters, near-space payloads, lunar mining robots, high-altitude ballooning, autonomous mobile robots and rotorcraft. He also directs the NASA-funded Student Exploration and Embedded Systems Laboratory at Temple.
With the funding provided by the private industries involved in the billionaire race to space, there have been upgrades to space travel technologies that make the trip to space more efficient and cost-effective, he said.
Lets start with Richard Bransonss company, Virgin Galactictheyve created a spaceship that is attached to a plane. Once the plane has reached about 60,000 feet, the plane drops the spaceship and then you fire your rockets into space, said Helferty. Because of this, the spaceship doesnt require as much of a boost like youre seeing with Musks SpaceX, Bezos Blue Origin and NASA rockets, which require a massive boost just to get off the ground. The propulsion systems for these rockets are still using liquid fuel, but the chemistry that's used for the engine propellants into them has made them much more efficient. Additionally, the advances in materials used to build these rockets and spaceships makes them lighter and arguably stronger, meaning it requires less fuel to propel them into space.
Once Branson, Bezos and Musk were able to launch into orbit, their businesses varied from one another. We need to be careful about using the phrase space exploration here, because thats not necessarily what they are all doing. Bezos and Branson (and their corresponding companies) are more so doing what would be considered space travel, said Helferty. Space exploration has a connotation that youre going out and seeking something new and in uncharted territory, like Mars or the polar regions of the moon. Bezos and Branson are more interested in commercial space traveltaking people up for a ride to get a nice view of the curvature of the Earth, experience weightlessness out of the atmosphere and then youre on your way back. Musk and his company, SpaceX, definitely have plans to go to Mars and explore while also making plans for space travel.
As expected, commercial space travel will come at no small cost to those who want a seat on one of these space flights. While Blue Origin has yet to release ticket prices, a seat on one of Virgin Galactics flights is believed to cost around $450,000making for a large return on investment once they get them off the ground.
Christina Rosan(Courtesy of the College of Liberal Arts)
Christina Rosan is an associate professor in geography and urban studies focused on sustainable cities. She is also a Faculty Fellow with Temples Center for Sustainable Communities and the Loretta C. Duckworth Digital Scholars Studio. She is the co-author of Reimagining Sustainable Cities: Strategies for Designing Greener, Healthier, More Equitable Communities (University of California Press, December 2021).
While some are intrigued by the idea of commercial space travel, others are concerned that the wealth of billionaires is being misused. Given the state of the world, the need to address climate change, COVID-19, racial justice and inequality, focusing on a race to space seems like a misplaced priority, said Rosan. Space is becoming a private frontier. Its like a big yacht. If you have enough money, you can explore space, float around, while the rest of us are dealing with a climate emergency here on Earth. If we have real scientific goals for space exploration, lets coordinate with governments, business and universities rather than relying on the whims of billionaires.
Space tourism has an enormous carbon footprint, so it is not helping to solve the climate problem at allits contributing to it.
-- Christina Rosan, associate professor in geography and urban studies
Rosan continued to explain how unnecessary space travel can have damaging effects on the environment. Space tourism has an enormous carbon footprint, so it is not helping to solve the climate problem at allits contributing to it. We are in a climate emergency. How can they use their resources here, on Earth?
Not only is space travel raising concerns about climate change, but it is also affecting the many employees that work for the other companies of these entrepreneurs, such as Amazon. I think their employees probably wonder how much of these billionaires excess money comes from employee exploitation, stated Rosan. The 2020 median employee salary at Amazon was $29,007.
So, what else can billionaires do to support space exploration? Rosan believes that money can be redirected and used to fuel those who are already involved in space programs and organizations. Rather than having a handful of billionaires guide our science and technology development, we should tax them appropriately to publicly fund scientific exploration and space programs, she said.
Jim Napolitano(Courtesy of the College of Science and Technology)
Jim Napolitano is an associate professor in the Department of Physics. His research focuses on parity violation and neutrino oscillations in quantum mechanics.
When you look at the purpose of the three different billionaires space companies, Musk is the only one who is in it for space exploration, said Napolitano. SpaceX is technically considered a telecommunications company because they launched their own telecommunications satellite and now their own telecommunications network. Thats pretty impressive when you think about it. However, Bezos and Branson are launching people into space for tourism. Sure, its exciting to see celebrities like William Shatner get launched into space now, but it's not the kind of commercial enterprise that is going to excite people in the long run.
Napolitano touched on the idea that celebrities going into space could motivate or inspire more young people today to get involved in science and technology and eventually go into STEM-related fields. From an educational standpoint, if it inspires students to go into science and technology, then that's great. We can all use more of that, he said. Whether or not the money these guys (Branson, Bezos and Musk) are spending could be better spent on better textbooks for students in schools, paying teachers the kind of salaries they should be paid to teach our kids science and mathematics, and inspire them and give them the time they need to get better at it and learn things in school and through summer programs ... I think they could do more with it.
However, Napolitano thinks the real way to get kids passionate about space, science and technology is to spark that interest while theyre young.
STEM is more than just knowing science, engineering and mathematics. Its about understanding how they affect us and how we can affect them, explained Napolitano. But I think if were going to make a real difference in STEM education in this country, we have to make teaching STEM to elementary, primary and secondary school students a priority. We have to educate teachers who are able to reach these kids and see this as an honorable, well-paying profession. And its really fun when you get in at that age because these kids are not afraid of raising their hands and saying the wrong thing. Second, third grade, maybe even kindergarten, we have to start them earlythis is what we need to do to make a difference in STEM.
Kierstyn Smith
Continue reading here:
An in-depth look at the race to space - Temple University News
- NASA-funded pulsed plasma rocket concept aims to send astronauts to Mars in 2 months - Space.com - May 21st, 2024 [May 21st, 2024]
- Ed Dwight, first African American candidate for space travel, takes off 60 years later - ABC News - May 21st, 2024 [May 21st, 2024]
- 90-Year-Old Man Breaks Space Travel Record: 'Everybody Needs to Do This' - Newsweek - May 21st, 2024 [May 21st, 2024]
- Mars in a Flash: How Pulsed Plasma Rockets Are Revolutionizing Space Travel - SciTechDaily - May 21st, 2024 [May 21st, 2024]
- Ed Dwight, the First Black Astronaut Candidate in the U.S., Finally Travels to Space at 90 Years Old - Smithsonian Magazine - May 21st, 2024 [May 21st, 2024]
- Ed Dwight, America's First Black Astronaut Candidate, Makes History by Finally Reaching Space at 90 - Yahoo New Zealand News - May 21st, 2024 [May 21st, 2024]
- After 60 years, the countrys first black astronaut candidate gets to travel to space - Washington Examiner - May 21st, 2024 [May 21st, 2024]
- Meet Ed Dwight, First Black Man Trained As Astronaut To Go To Space After 63 Years - NDTV - May 21st, 2024 [May 21st, 2024]
- The Billionaire Space Race Heats Up With Blue Origin's Latest Launch - Robb Report - May 21st, 2024 [May 21st, 2024]
- Startups have taken big strides this year to bring back space travel - Fortune - February 22nd, 2024 [February 22nd, 2024]
- Isolation and annoying co-workers: Solving the stress of a trip to Mars - Astronomy Magazine - February 22nd, 2024 [February 22nd, 2024]
- SPACE PERSPECTIVE UNVEILS THE FUTURE OF HUMAN SPACE TRAVEL - PR Newswire - February 22nd, 2024 [February 22nd, 2024]
- Space Perspective Unveils The Future Of Human Space Travel - Space Daily - February 22nd, 2024 [February 22nd, 2024]
- Brokaw: 'Constellation' is an unsettling story of space travel - Daily Herald - February 22nd, 2024 [February 22nd, 2024]
- The New Companies Developing Tech on the Space Coast - SpaceCoastDaily.com - February 22nd, 2024 [February 22nd, 2024]
- A space tourism milestone has been reached. Now, testing begins. - Travel Weekly - February 22nd, 2024 [February 22nd, 2024]
- Space Perspective Unveils Test Capsule, Marks Milestone in Titusville's Spaceflight Journey | TalkOfTitusville.com - Talk of Titusville - February 22nd, 2024 [February 22nd, 2024]
- Former West High student now heads tech startup making pharmaceuticals in space - Salt Lake Tribune - February 22nd, 2024 [February 22nd, 2024]
- Space travel: How does it feel to live and work on Mars? - Mint Lounge - February 22nd, 2024 [February 22nd, 2024]
- NASA's Vision for the Future: A New Space Station by 2030 - Medriva - February 22nd, 2024 [February 22nd, 2024]
- How antimatter engines could fly humans to other stars in just a few years - Business Insider Nederland - February 22nd, 2024 [February 22nd, 2024]
- Kam Ghaffarian's Moonshots - The New York Times - February 18th, 2024 [February 18th, 2024]
- Tiny robot's successful first surgery could have huge implications for space travel - ReadWrite - February 18th, 2024 [February 18th, 2024]
- Space Health Challenges and Innovations in Deep Space Travel - Medriva - February 18th, 2024 [February 18th, 2024]
- NASA is Done Setting Fires Inside its Doomed Cargo Spacecraft - Universe Today - February 18th, 2024 [February 18th, 2024]
- 'The Space Race' Review: Why Was NASA So White? - The New York Times - February 18th, 2024 [February 18th, 2024]
- The New Corporate Frontier: Implications of the Space Race on Ground-Based Telescopes and Astronomical Research - Medriva - February 18th, 2024 [February 18th, 2024]
- This Remotely Controlled Robot Will Conduct a Simulated Surgery on the International Space Station - Smithsonian Magazine - February 18th, 2024 [February 18th, 2024]
- Canadian Astronaut Jeremy Hansen: Reflecting on Canada's Role in Space Exploration and Preparing for Artemis II ... - Medriva - February 18th, 2024 [February 18th, 2024]
- Axiom Space's Ax-3 Mission: A Revolutionary Step in Commercial Space Travel - Medriva - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- MBRSC to begin second Mars simulation mission on January 26 - SatelliteProME.com - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- Starfield players outraged over missing space exploration feature - Dexerto - September 3rd, 2023 [September 3rd, 2023]
- This Alternate Method of Space Travel in Starfield is Way More Immersive Than Menus - GameRant - September 3rd, 2023 [September 3rd, 2023]
- Starfield: How to space travel and scan planets - App Trigger - September 3rd, 2023 [September 3rd, 2023]
- Why Do Almost Half of Moon Missions Fail? Here's Why Space Is ... - Inverse - September 3rd, 2023 [September 3rd, 2023]
- Researchers Discover Yet Another Way That Space Travel Kills You - The Debrief - September 3rd, 2023 [September 3rd, 2023]
- Moon landing rekindles interest in space exploration - New Zealand Herald - September 3rd, 2023 [September 3rd, 2023]
- What's it like to win a trip to space? - BBC - September 3rd, 2023 [September 3rd, 2023]
- UNLV Earns NASA Awards to Bolster Space-Related Research ... - UNLV NewsCenter - September 3rd, 2023 [September 3rd, 2023]
- 7 Best Ships To Unlock In Starfield - Screen Rant - September 3rd, 2023 [September 3rd, 2023]
- Starfield players agree that its first dozen hours are its weakest: 'OK ... - PC Gamer - September 3rd, 2023 [September 3rd, 2023]
- Buddhists Do Not Want Space Junk to Fall on Your Head - E-International Relations - September 3rd, 2023 [September 3rd, 2023]
- Will humans ever go to Mars? | Astronomy.com - Astronomy Magazine - September 3rd, 2023 [September 3rd, 2023]
- Unleashing Power of Tether Space Transport - Jammu Kashmir ... - Daily Excelsior - September 3rd, 2023 [September 3rd, 2023]
- Frustrated Starfield players say controversial low review scores are ... - Dexerto - September 3rd, 2023 [September 3rd, 2023]
- Saudi space mission to launch on May 21, first Arab woman astronaut to embark on historic journey to ISS - wknd. - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- Saudi astronauts to launch space mission on May 21 - Saudi Gazette - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- First Saudi space mission to launch on May 21 with Kingdoms first astronauts - Al Arabiya English - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- Flying in space would slash Sydney to London journey time to just two hours - 9News - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- Flights from Sydney to London take two hours with outer space ... - Innovation News Network - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- The Final Frontier for the Faithful: Islamic Rulings on Space - E-International Relations - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- Twitter is still vital for the space community. A former NASA astronaut ... - Space.com - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- CNL Aims to Better Protect Canadian Astronauts Through New Project Funded by the Canadian Space Agency - Yahoo Finance - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- SpaceX Announces Seat Reservations For Space Station Travel - Traveling Lifestyle - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- Axiom-2 Mission Set to Launch with Diverse Crew of Private ... - Transcontinental Times - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- New Mexico has surreal sand dunes, snowy mountains, space alien ... - Knoxville News Sentinel - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- To Space and Back: Students Conduct Plant Science Research on ... - ISS National Lab - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- NASA Tests Robot Snakes to Send to Other Planets - Newsweek - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- HAL 9000 Is the Most Terrifying Movie A.I. - Collider - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- Space Travel Market 2023 to 2029 Industry Analysis, Growth ... - Cottonwood Holladay Journal - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- Virgin Galactic: Revolutionizing Space Travel and the Future of ... - Best Stocks - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- Virgin Galactics first private space tourism flight to take off in June - Travel Tomorrow - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- NASA PC-12 to conduct aerial flights over Cleveland roadways - AviationSource News - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- Florida's 'Space Coast' Has Incredible Beaches, Food, and Dolphins Here's How to Plan a Trip - Yahoo Life - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- Fast X adds Jason Momoa to the Vin Diesel-driven franchise for the first instalment of a series finale that already feels like its spinning its wheels... - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- Airstreams new travel trailer fits a swanky studio apartment into less than 17 feet of living space - The Manual - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- Steven Wright, Master of the One-Liner, Tries His Hand at a Novel - The New York Times - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- Poop falling from the sky: Here's how often that happens - CBS News - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- How will we react when the aliens arrive? - The Irish Times - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- Luxury stores with the most beautiful interiors - Luxebook - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- Is it really possible to travel back in time? - BBC Sky at Night Magazine - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- The pros and cons of space colonization - Yahoo News - May 10th, 2023 [May 10th, 2023]
- In space, failure is an option often the only one - Nature.com - May 10th, 2023 [May 10th, 2023]
- Virgin Galactic Announces Return to Space, Crew | - Santa Fe Reporter - May 10th, 2023 [May 10th, 2023]
- A tour inside the Thailand's first space themed hotel - Manila Bulletin - May 10th, 2023 [May 10th, 2023]
- Buzz Aldrin named Brigadier General by Space Force - We Are The Mighty - May 10th, 2023 [May 10th, 2023]
- Virgin Orbit Failure Casts Cloud Over Space Voyages - Kiplinger's Personal Finance - May 10th, 2023 [May 10th, 2023]
- OPINION: A Return to Profitability for Commercial Aviation - Avionics ... - Aviation Today - May 10th, 2023 [May 10th, 2023]
- 12 Realistic Films About Space Travel and Making Contact With Aliens - Wealth Of Geeks - May 10th, 2023 [May 10th, 2023]
- Dont be fooled: 10 of the biggest travel myths, busted - Sydney Morning Herald - May 10th, 2023 [May 10th, 2023]