The Real Space Tourism Industry

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Presented at the 39th Space Congress, Cocoa Beach, Florida (April 30, 2002)

There are numerous space launch sites around the world, but only one to which the casual visitor can go with any real expectation of watching a space launch: Cape Canaveral. Other launch sites are simply too inaccessible, have too low a launch rate, or are geographically configured so as to make launch viewing highly difficult.

In contrast to other sites, Florida’s Cape Canaveral has a nearby thriving tourist industry, superb multi-modal transportation facilities, and is laid out in a manner that enables viewing.

However, while people do vacation in the Cocoa Beach area with at least some hope of seeing a launch, this fact is not treated as big factor at present. Launch viewing is not particularly encouraged or enabled. From the launch industry standpoint, facilitating launch viewing is more a nuisance than a source of pride. In terms of safety, launch viewing is a concern because of the concentrations of uncontrolled personnel. For the local communities, the traffic associated with launch viewing can be a major stressor of the road network.

The biggest problem is one of information. We need a better system of letting the public know of launch viewing opportunities, one that does not rely on just newspapers or the internet. We need a better way of providing real time information on the status of the launch operation, both to facilitate viewing and to convey the excitement of the process. Modern communications systems offer inexpensive means of achieving these goals.

By taking a new approach to enabling launch viewing, the launch and tourism industries can complement one another and the local economy. Launches can be both a more effective tourist attraction and a clear source of pride for the community. At the same time, safety can be improved and the traffic situation handled more efficiently. This paper deals with an approach to address this current issue and potential resource.

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