Keeping the dream alive? Isn't tourism more a vector, in the pathological sense of the word, of a vision that has very little in common with a historical perspective of space? Rather than the heroic exploits of space explorers, are we not set to be engulfed by a tide of crassness and debasement, venality and the simply mundane? A comparison with aviation and the history of how it was commercialized-and popularized-gives pause for thought. Where are the new Wright Brothers, Bleriots and Lindbergs of today? When we think about it, the air is a restricted domain, whereas space offers a vast realm to explore. As an astronaut once admitted: "Initially, I was implacably opposed to space tourism as a threat to our privileged status; then I realized that space tourists would simply spur us to seek out new frontiers."
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