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Summer Travel Plans?
NASA has you covered…
…space is open for business!
(sort of)
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What’s The News?
- The Trip: NASA won’t fly you to the moon *yet* but you might be able to visit the International Space Station (ISS) by next year.
- How It *Might* Work: Private companies could fly you to the ISS & reserve access for up to 30 days.
- How much? TBD. One estimate: $50 MILLION per person. NASA says $35,000/night to use ISS.
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Why It Matters:
- This is a change. NASA used to not allow any projects that didn’t focus on research or education. NASA wants “in” on the party, collaborating with companies to access the “new” economy.
- Space is expensive. Private industry competition has raised the questions about whether taxpayers alone should finance U.S. space exploration.
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While NASA says it doesn't foresee this limited space travel (2 trips a year of a handful of people) making a profit for the agency, but the money could help it invest in other projects. And, if you want to wait, NASA says moon trips will come by 2024.
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Sources
- NASA Opens International Space Station to New Commercial Opportunities, Private Astronauts
https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-opens-international-space-station-to-new-commercial-opportunities-private - Want to Buy a Ticket to the Space Station? NASA Says Soon You Can
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/07/science/space-station-nasa.html - NASA invites tourists to space station, while a Trump tweet casts doubt on his own administrationa s moon plan
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2019/06/07/nasa-allow-private-citizens-fly-international-space-station/