From Paul Andrews
There seems to be a very big hole in the thinking in various articles recently about the race to win the X prize and the flood of space tourism that it will release, (for example, 4 September, p 20).
Before anyone accuses me of being a killjoy, let me say that I entirely support the exploration of space by any government, by professional men and women. However, I cannot see why rich playboys, who already consume far more than their fair share of Earth’s meagre resources, should be allowed to do so.
Every space launch creates a large amount of pollution. We, the rich people of the west contribute significantly to global warming every time we take a “cheap” flight to the sun. How much more damage will space tourism cause – or don’t we care about that either?
Chislehurst, Kent, UK
