The first “real” tourist space flight has started, what is the story of Inspiration4?

Now it is Netflix that follows the theft, at the time it was journalists who were solicited. “The underlying goal being the idea that the newspaper reader would see what this plane might mean to them in the future.”

He expects the same kind of euphoric messages from the passengers of the Inspiration4 mission as from those early air travelers. “Like that of an NRC journalist in 1919 after flying over Amsterdam: ‘Flying is everything for me!'”

People were also concerned about security at the time. And not without reason. Dierikx: “These early planes weren’t very reliable. Several with passengers and already missing over the North Sea. People were often very relieved when they returned to the ground. I imagine space tourists today share this sentiment. With a new means of transport that we do not yet know, it’s a hell of a barrier. “

From A to A

But the comparison stops there. Because the criticism that there is now on extraterrestrial pleasure flights, did not ring then. “Around 1920, the airline projected a new mode of transportation from which the world had something to gain. Namely, shortening travel times between international destinations. Space travel does not have that prospect at all. from A to A. “

This is still the case for this mission, confirms space expert Ronald Klompe, affiliated with the Aviodrome space museum. “It is above all the ultimate form of go sightseeing. SpaceX even replaced the coupling mechanism that normally attaches the capsule to the ISS with a large observation dome. “