Interview with the author Kellie Gerardi

Will space tourism for ordinary people happen in our lifetime?

I think so. Right now the price is high, and as competitors are drawn into the field I think it will become more accessible. It will be a luxury for the next few decades, but hopefully a more accessible luxury like how first-class flights are for a special occasion. Fewer than 700 humans have been to space, and the fact that Virgin Galactic could more than double that number in its first few years of operation is amazing.

What are your thoughts on the Commercial Crew Program?

It’s incredible how far we’ve come in the last decade. NASA has been such a proactive partner in enabling this ecosystem to grow; it’s an amazing thing to accomplish for SpaceX and Boeing. It’s extraordinary that SpaceX has achieved what previously only nation states have. One of my buzzword phrases is the ‘democratisation of access to space’, and this is what that looks like.

How do you feel about crewed missions to the Moon and Mars?

We need to invest in capabilities to sustain an off-Earth presence, and the Moon is a great candidate both in proximity and also as a soundbox for further destinations. I understand where people are coming from when they lament how we haven’t been back out of low-Earth orbit since Apollo. We continue to do incredible things robotically, much further out, but I do think Mars is calling. I’m location agnostic when it comes to settlement on the Moon. If that’s where we’re going, I’ll take it, and I’m very excited.