[Moonbase-discuss] Space Tourism Club: An Idea Whose Time Has Come

[Samuel Coniglio]

Hello fellow space enthusiasts!

The Yuri's Night event in San Francisco helped stir a number of great 
discussions.  The most common one of them was this:

"What can I do to get to outer space? "

Well, if you are not a NASA astronaut or a multi-millionaire, it 
seems you are out of luck. Fortunately, there are a series of 
movements afoot to bring public space travel closer to a reality.

Most of you know me from Yuri's night, and possibly the Space 
Frontier Foundation. But did you know I have been doing research on 
space tourism since 1997, and have presented papers at international 
conferences on this topic?  This tidbit of information leads to my 
proposal:

Create a club where people can invent the future.

Aptly named the Space Tourism Club, we can have a venue where people 
can use their creative talents to dream, design, and build a 
space-faring society.

There are several challenges to space travel, but I won't bog this 
email down with details.

Here are some concepts, based on the five senses, which people with 
differing talents can try to tackle:

1. Sight--current and past space habitats tend to be sterile and 
utilitarian. Create a more organic and comfortable orbital 
environment with colors and shapes that are fun.
2. Sound--spacecraft are very noisy.  Be an ambient engineer and 
create counter sounds. Music is a necessity to add to a space 
traveler's enjoyment of the visit to the space hotel.
3. Taste--Without gravity, your blood is evenly distributed through 
the body. Food tastes different up there.  Can you create cuisine 
that is equal or better than what we have down here? Imagine a six 
star restaurant in Earth orbit.  People will pay for such quality.
4. Touch--Space environments are harsh.  Why not use softer materials 
for certain items?  Clothing can be designed differently as well. 
Imaging clothing designed for zero gravity (can you say wings?).
5. Smell--Ventilation systems are critical for survival in space. 
People and materials have scents that collect in a small space, just 
like in a submarine.  Can you make perfume that neutralizes the 
scents? Things smell different up there, because of the blood 
redistribution in your body. Can you make a new smell?

These concepts are deliberately abstract.  I just wanted to give you 
a little inspiration.

About the club:
1. It could be a 501c3 non-profit group.
2. It could be a business incubator.
3. We could have contests and programs for local schools and universities.
4. We would present our work at the annual Space Tourism Society 
meeting, and other events.
5. Each person should do what they like.
6. The club could be a loose-knit association.

I'm open to suggestions.

Please email me if you are interested in this activity.  We could 
discuss it online, and maybe actually meet someplace.

If you are not interested, then please ignore this email.  I will not 
bother you again on this topic.

For more information and inspiration, please refer to the following web sites:
http://www.spacefuture.com
http://www.spaceadventures.com
http://www.xprize.org
http://www.space-frontier.org

Sincerely,

Samuel Coniglio
Space Tourism Club












--"Wherever you go, there you are."