Are new tourist experiences worth it? In 2023, OceanGate’s submarine on a voyage to the Titanic shipwreck imploded and killed everyone on board. This tragedy resulted in a step back from the public wanting to pioneer new experiences created by millionaires wanting to experiment with new things. A student at Yorba Linda High School, Elise Doty (11), says, “I would never experiment with voyages like that because the results are unknown.”

Huge steps like taking people to voyage around the Titanic or traveling around the moon need a rigorous protocol to ensure the safety of everyone on board. Elon Musk’s company, SpaceX, has introduced a tourism concept intended to take people to space. Musk is taking a large step in the space tourism revolution, but all this depends on the public’s opinion. Junior Kayla Duke (11) is very fond of the idea of space travel and believes it would be fun because “it would provide a dreamlike experience for those who otherwise can’t access space.”

Elon Musk has made impactful strides in this idea with the development of the Starship, intended for interplanetary travel. This ship is a great leap in the race for space tourism. He has also set up an itinerary as trips around Earth will last 3-6 days and to the Moon will take 7 days. Musk has also held many test flights that have reached suborbital heights.

Although everything might seem to be going smoothly, the company still has to persuade the public to want to take these flights. With the tragedy in 2023, it is still tricky to change the public’s perception of new experiences. Along with the danger, a seat on this flight cost around 72 million dollars. This is most likely due to the intricate technology required for space travel and SpaceX being the only company offering space travel.

All in all, it will be very difficult to convince any person to sign up for this kind of flight. Nonetheless, Musk has received his first tourist for a Starship flight around the moon. This would make it a second time for Dennis Tito, as he has already visited the “International Space Station” (euronews.com). His experience will take a week and take him around the moon without touching its surface. This is a very exciting time as many innovations are shaping our future and may make Space travel normal in a hundred years. But let us not forget what comes with that and learn from mistakes to create a better experience for future generations.