Rich Americans are willing to take conspicuous consumption
to new heights by spending big bucks to fly into space, including
paying 0,000 for a 15-minute trip into the heavens, according
to a poll released on Monday.
Possibly bored by the banal baubles of mundane Mother Earth or
inspired by the dashing derring-do of such pioneers as first American
in space Alan Shepard and first millionaire in space Dennis Tito,
the poll says 7 percent of rich Americans would pay million
for a two-week orbital flight and 19 percent would pay 0,000
for 15-minute sub-orbital flight.
The poll by Zogby International was commissioned by Futron Corp.,
a Maryland aerospace consulting group which has a .8 million
contract with NASA to explore the commercial applications of space
travel, including what space tourism could look like in the next
20 years.
Zogby International conducted telephone interviews with 450 Americans
whose yearly incomes exceed 0,000 or whose net worth exceeds
million. The polls, conducted in January but only released
Monday, has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.7 percent.
Futron's NASA project program manager Derek Webber said, "We
commissioned this survey in order to get an idea of what rich
people think and not the man in the street who loves the idea
of going into space but can't afford it."
He added, "We are saying these trips will cost a minimum
of 0,000 for a 15-minute trip, which was the amount of time
the first American in space, Alan Shepard, had and for that you
get to feel space weightlessness and see the world from up there."
that trip would take a tourist 50 miles (80 km) into space.
Webber said a surprising 7 percent of the wealthy polled said
they would be willing to take a two-week flight to an orbiting
space station, paying the million that the Russians charged
the two pioneering space tourists who have already made the trip,
South African Mark Shuttleworth and American Dennis Tito.
If the price dropped to million, 16 percent of those surveyed
would be interested.
Space tourists would have to meet medical standards and only
be able to go to the International Space Station.
'N Sync singer Lance Bass is currently undergoing tests to see
if he could become the third space tourist. He wants to become
the first entertainer in space.
(Agencies)
Updated: 2002-05-28 01:00