A couple of decades ago, space exploration was a preserve of professional astronauts sponsored by government agencies. At the time, space tourism as we know it today was nothing more than a pipe dream.
This was until 7 adventurous travelers, keen on exploring the space, parted with millions of dollars for a chance to experience what it’s like to tour the space aboard the International Space Station. The dye had been cast and the future of space exploration bright.
Today, we’ve fully embraced and ushered in the era of space exploration. A simple look around and you will notice a number of commercial companies such as Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin developing highly specialized and advanced space crafts.
Such spacecraft are meant to give individuals an experience of a lifetime while in space. Keen on experiencing zero center of gravity? What about weightlessness? Ah, wait. Spacewalking must be one of the items on your bucket lists, right? Whatever your goal or desire is, space tourism is here to stay. Of all the above named experiences, spacewalking tops the list of activities that people want to engage in once they land in space.
With that said, what is spacewalking?
Also going by the name extravehicular activity, spacewalking describes the activity of walking while in space. In essence, you are considered to have walked on space the moment you alight the space vehicle and take a number of steps.
The first person to walk in space went by the name Alexei Leonov. He walked for 10 minutes and described the experience as awesome. Since then, astronauts and people who have travelled to space have walked for more minutes. It’s an experience unlike no other and one of the driving desires for people keen on space exploration.
How Safe Is Spacewalking?
Is spacewalking safe? Even though you are dying to walk in space, you want to do it with the assurance that it is safe and does not put your life in danger. The direct answer is that spacewalking is risky. Why? Well, the moment you step out of the space vehicle, you are entering an environment laden with risks and prone to cosmic radiation exposure.
However, this need not be a hindrance to your space exploration endeavors. With the right pressurized equipment to prevent exposure to radiation, adequate oxygen, and adhering to safety measures put in place by space tourism companies, spacewalking should be a walk in the park and a lifetime experience.
Space Tourism Companies That Offer Spacewalking
As spacewalking becomes a must do activity while on space, space tourism companies are keen on ensuring that you enjoy the best spacewalking experience ever. However, owing to the fact that spacewalking comes with immense risks and protective equipment to make it safe quite expensive, most space tourism companies shy away from offering it as a package.
The cost of equipment, the training needed, and the intense preparation makes it quite costly as a package.
Do all space travel companies offer space walking
While incredibly awesome and a once in a lifetime experience, spacewalking requires intense preparation, training, not to mention high costs associated with acquiring protective equipment. Consequently, the associated risks are so high that most space travel companies shy away from spacewalking activities.
However, as space tourism takes center stage and becomes more popular with each passing day, space walking activities are sure to become a must-include package for space travel companies. Andrey Bokarev posits that space travel companies keen on achieving a competitive edge will have to offer spacewalking activities to meet and exceed the needs of customers keen on a unique space travelling experience.