Writers predict the future of traveling by Martina Harvanova

Everything began decades ago with the literature and consequently, the authors' imagination. Jules Verne's From the Earth to the Moon outlined the topic of lunar visits. The aspirations to depict the future space traveling are best remembered in science fiction works, such as Arthur C. Clarke's A Fall of Moondust or Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator by Roald Dahl and many others. The theme of space visits became pretty popular although nobody would ever consider the plot would become true. In 1957 Robert A. Heinlein's short story The Menace from Earth was one of the first to incorporate elements of a developed space tourism industry within its framework. During the 1960s and 1970s, there spread a common belief that space hotels would be launched by 2000. Many futurologists around the middle of the 20th century speculated that the average family of the early 21st century would be able to enjoy a holiday on the Moon. We apparently haven't filled their expectations, but these imaginations and ideas raised in the past seem to get still more present. Virgin Galactic, a company known for its business of space travels, unveiled SpaceShipTwo, the vehicle which is designed to take passengers about 62 miles above Earth. However, passengers aren't paid for their discoveries in the space as astronauts are. On contrary, they have to pay to the voyage. But it doesn't make them any problem, they do it just for the fun of it. The "fun" is conceived to cost about $200,000 apiece. The company already has some potential customers. About 200 prospective passengers from 30 countries have made reservations. To maintain the safety the travelers need to attend test flights which will possibly begin this year. The company by itself acknowledged the project has risks, but added "the spacecraft will be at least as safe as early commercial airlines in the 1920s." The first "private space visitor" is considered to be Dennis Tito, an American businessman, who was able to pay a fortune to see International Space Station (ISS) for seven days in 2001. He was followed in 2002 by South African computer millionaire Mark Shuttleworth. The third was Gregory Olsen in 2005. The first three participants paid in excess of $20 million for their visit to the ISS. Some of us are satisfied with holidays somewhere in a mountain cottage, most of us travel to the seaside and to be frank, there are some that can't afford even to think about vacation. For those who scorn a traditional way of spending holidays and don't want to get bored while lying on the beach, I have a suggestion. Let's rent a space ship!

related story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080123/ap_on_sc/hurricanes_warming;_ylt=Aj25s3JISH9YW8L4u9rGzjes0NUE

by Martina Harvanova for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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