The headline "Is space tourism a frontier to meh?" is shallow, misleading, and meanspirited. I have been a fan of and have followed space flight since childhood. I would not pass on an opportunity to be the first composer in space. Frankly, I am impressed with the business model that created the flight of Inspiration 4. What just person can complain about a venture that raised millions of dollars for St. Jude's Hospital? (An aside: yes, there was a billionaire on the flight, but he is a pretty rugged and well-intentioned guy, and the backstories of the other crew members are heartwarming---not mawkishly so---especially the woman with a prosthetic whose life the hospital saved when she was a child.) The crew trained hard for the mission for a half a year and earned those spots. During their three day voyage they achieved the highest orbit of any manned space flight in history, performed experiments, inspired children with-and-post-cancer worldwide, and had the best view of any astronauts ever with the new window. They were an inspiration. | As for the other company who sends people up for a barely-in-space-for-3-or-4-minutes joy ride---like the one William Shatner (Captain Kirk) did---that is just an expensive 21st-century amusement park ride.
