Thepotentialforsuborbitalflighttoalsobeusedfortransportingcargocosteffectivelyhasbeenextensivelyconsideredandplannedfor.Bysomeestimates,thepotentialmarketforintercontinentaltravelatrocketspeedforbothpassengersandfreightsignificantlydwarvesthemarketforspacetourism.Thesametechnologieswhicharedevelopedforsuborbitalspaceflightmayturnouttohaveahugeimpactonmanyindustrieshereonearthfirst.Forexample,ifpassengersandfreightcanmakeanoceanhopinanhourorsobyflyingataroundMach10,thewholenatureofmanyindustriesmightchange.
"Withallthiscompetition,itseemedpossiblethatwithinthenextdecadeortwo,regularlyscheduledpassengerservicetosuborbitalspacecoulddroptothecostofanordinarilyexpensivevacation—aCarribeancruise,say.BurtRutanaloneproclaimedithismission'toassurethatthere'llbehundredsofthousandsofpeopleflyingoutsidetheatmospheresoon."
—MichaelBelfiore
Clearlythe"HolyGrail"ofspacetourismatthisstagewouldbetoactuallysendpeopleintoorbitratherthanprovidethemwithasuborbitalflightexperiencewhichlastsjustafewminutes.Toachievethat,however,somedauntingtechnicalchallengesneedtobefaced.Togointoorbit,anitemhastobeacceleratedtoabout17,500milesperhour,whichisroughlyMach7.Putdifferently,goingintoorbitrequiresapprox.25timestheamountofenergyneededtoputanobjectintospaceonasuborbitalflightofthekindcompletedbySpaceShipOnetowintheX-Prize.Thisisthereasonwhycommercialsatelliteoperatorscharge$30millionormoretoputsatellitesintoorbit.
Despitethechallengesimposedbythelawsofphysics,anumberofprivatecompaniesarehardatworkdevelopingpropulsionsystemswhichitishopedultimatelywillbepowerfulenoughtosendsatellitesandultimatelyspacetouristsintoorbit.Oneofthesecompanies,SpaceExplorationTechnologyorSpaceX,isworkingtodevelopreusablejetpropulsionsystemswhichhopefullywillreducethelaunchcostforasatellitefromitscurrentlevelof$30millionto$6to$7millioninstead.
"Everysatellitelaunchereverbuilthasnoreusableparts,whichcontributesgreatlytotheirhugepricetags.ImaginethrowingawayaBoeing737jetlinerafterjustonepassenger-carryingflightacrosstheAtlantic,andyou'llseepartoftheproblemfacingthesatellitelaunchindustry.Torecouptheircosts,letalonemakeaprofit,airlineswouldhavetochargeeachpassengernotonlyforcostofthetripbutalsoforthebuildingoftheairplane.Ticketscouldtop$400,000each,whichwouldmeanfarfewerpassengersandconsequentlyfarfewerairplanesflyingacrosstheAtlantic.Soitiswithsatellitelaunchers,whichsharplylimitstheirnumbersandhencetheservicestheyprovide.Butwhatwouldhappenifthepricetolaunchasatelliteweresignificantlylower?Whatifevenamid-sizedcompanyoruniversitycouldlaunchasatellite?Nooneknowswhatnewmarketsforsatellitelauncheswillopenup,butMuskisconfidenthe'llgetmorethanenoughbusinesstofundhisrealmission."