This video is supported by Brilliant. On the 12th of April 1961, Yuri Gagarin became
the first ever human to venture into space. On that day, he saw the world in a way that
no human had ever seen before. Since then, just 560 people have been into
space, most of them being trained astronauts that spent years preparing for their flights. But when will the rest of us get a chance
to visit space? And what will we do when we get there? In this video, we’re going to look at the
future of space tourism. We’re also going to look at the private
astronauts that have paid to go into space and how reusable rockets could help to kickstart
the space tourism industry. Since the beginning of spaceflight, only 7
people have paid to go to space. In 2001, American entrepreneur Dennis Tito
paid $20 million for an 8-day trip to the International Space Station. At the time, NASA thought it was inappropriate for tourists to go to space, so they refused to train him. Instead, he partnered with the Russian’s
and took a ride on Soyuz mission TM32 along with two Cosmonauts. He recalls the spectacular moment when he
looked out of his window for the first time and saw the curvature of the Earth against
the darkness of space. Dennis spent a total of 8 days on the ISS
where he performed various experiments and admired the incredible view of Earth. So far, the amount of paying visitors to space
has been very low, but all that could change in the near future. With multiple private space companies developing
reusable spacecraft, the cost of spaceflight is starting to lower dramatically. Blue Origin are developing their ‘New Shepard’ spacecraft specifically for tourism flights into space. This capsule has 6 seats with the largest
windows ever seen in a spacecraft. During these flights, the rocket will accelerate
up to 100km in altitude before cutting off the engine and releasing the capsule. At this point, the capsule is essentially
in free fall but still travelling upwards to its highest point. Passengers inside the capsule will be able to leave their seats and experience the effects of weightlessness. A few minutes later, the passengers will return
to their seats before the capsule enters the atmosphere and the effects of weightlessness
disappear. Although these flights will be extremely short,
the reusability of this rocket could give customers a chance to experience the wonders
of space from a price as low as $200,000. Although this will still only satisfy the
super rich, it’s a step in the right direction if spaceflight is to ever achieve the price
and safety standards of airliners. But as the industry grows and companies compete
to develop the cheapest ride into space, these prices could fall even more. If each space vehicle can be reused multiple
times before needing serious refurbishment, the customer will only need to cover the cost
of crew and fuel. An airplane can fly multiple times per day,
and conduct tens of thousands of flights over its lifetime. If a rocket can reach even a fraction of those
numbers, space tourism could be opened up to the wider public. But developing a cheap ride into space is
only half of the problem. The cost of actually living in space is still
an incredibly expensive luxury. In order to run the International Space Station
it costs NASA around $4 Billion each year. After years of avoiding commercialization, NASA recently opened up the ISS to paying customers. But with the extremely high running costs,
the ISS is still just a destination for the wealthy. In order to have food and air during your
stay on the ISS, it will cost you $22,500 per day. Once everything else like power and wifi is
included, a one night stay onboard the ISS will cost you at least $35,000. In order for space tourism to become a reality,
the cost of building and operating a habitat in space will need to be drastically reduced. Space Technology startup ‘Bigelow Aerospace’ are developing large inflatable space station modules. These modules can be packed into a rocket’s
payload bay and inflated into a much larger size when in space. The idea is that large expandable modules
like these could be the perfect foundation for space hotels. Currently, the ISS requires an enormous team
of people working 24 hours a day just to keep the station running. Bigelow Aerospace are hoping to simplify the operation of their modules and reduce the running cost. And since they are easier to manufacture and cheaper to launch than traditional space station modules, they could reduce the cost of living
in space all together. So although the idea of space tourism may
seem like a distant fantasy. The incredible advancements in reusable rockets
and space modules could soon open the door for a brand new generation of explorers. Thanks to Brilliant for sponsoring this episode
of Primal Space. There are multiple ways to learn about a topic
on the internet, but the way Brilliant teaches you to think critically about a problem and
truly understand it - is unique. If you liked this video, you probably have
an interest in things like space, science, math and engineering - in that case Brilliant
has you covered. Brilliant is a problem solving website with
a wide range of interactive courses that break complex topics down into smaller and more
understandable chunks. Brilliant isn’t just about memorizing facts
and formulas, it’s about developing a deep understanding of how and why things work - so
you can apply them to everyday life. To support the channel and learn more about
Brilliant, visit brilliant.org/primalspace. The first 200 people to sign up will get 20%
off the yearly subscription. Thank you very much for watching and I’ll
see you in the next video.
