Bootstrapping Hawaii

>
> > What does taking tourists on suborbital hops do for the big
picture?
>
> It shows that private industry can tackle both rocketry and space.
At
> the moment there's reason to doubt this; it's a big job and
governments
> aren't really stepping up to the plate as they should; but they're
on
> the playing field and this is scaring off the other players.
>
> Space is funding/market limited right now; governments will not
take us
> there; although they could, but they have insufficient incentive
to do
> this. Perhaps private industry won't either, but then again, it
has
> never tried as yet.

I'll take the risk of introducing anothr analogy into the debate.
The way I see suborbital technology for space tourism is akin to hot
air balloning. It's a niche market, entirely tourist driven. Nobody
gets on a ballon to travel.

You get on a jet to go someplace in order to do something.

Sub-orbital will let you sightsee but it won't get you someplace
where you can earn a buck, or spend a buck on leisure.

Even if orbital tourism becomes tachnologically possible it still
needs a destination, otherwise it's just a new-fangled balloon.

TangoMan