No. 155 / Dec 6, 2021
With the rapid development of the space industry in recent years, products related to space travel are being created. What should be noted it is private companies, not state agencies, that lead the space industry. Previously, state agencies such as National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) carried out space-related industries, but now private companies such as SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Virgin Galactic are leading the way. Each of these companies is competing for supremacy by creating their own space products. The competition began in August 2020 when SpaceX’s first civilian manned spacecraft Crew Dragon returned safely to Earth after successfully completing a round-trip mission to the International Space Station (ISS).
People’s interest in space travel is very high. Virgin Galactic announced that there are about 700 people waiting for space travel tickets they have offered for about 500 million won. Tickets for Virgin Galactic space travel have been on sale since the late 2000s and have been purchased by about 600 people. Famous figures such as Justin Bieber and Leonardo Dicaprio are also known to have bought the ticket. Tickets are currently expensive, but all three companies aim to popularize space travel. On July 11, 2021, a Virgin Galactic spacecraft carrying four civilians, including Chairman Richard Branson, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Virgin Galactic succeeded in its first civilian space trip. On July 20, Blue Origin’s New Shepherd Rocket and Capsule, carrying four people, including Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, and Blue Origin succeeded in manned space flight for the first time. As such, the space tourism industry is promoting safety through the chairman’s visit.
As for the reason for pursuing space travel, Jeff Bezos said that the reason for his efforts in space business is not simply to achieve space travel or make money, but to send heavy industrial facilities that cause environmental pollution into space and make the Earth a clean area. In addition, Jeff Bezos recently announced plans to build a commercial space station called Orbital Reef. Orbital Reef will be called the “Universe Complex Business Park”. Company announced that they will finish building a space station by 2030. As such, the space travel industry is gradually coming to reality.
There are also concerns that such space travel has an adverse environmental impact. Oxfarm, the International Relief and Development Organization, pointed out that space travel causes excessive carbon dioxide emissions. The amount of carbon dioxide emitted from space travel for 11 minutes is at least 75t, the same as the amount emitted by 1 billion people in the poorest class for life. Very few elites seem to have free passes on pollution, said Nafcote Davi, head of Oxfarm’s climate change department. “Their excessive carbon dioxide emissions fuel extreme weather around the world and put international goals in danger of curbing global warming.”
By Yu Woo-sang, AG Reporter
tom6070@ajou.ac.kr
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