Space tourism spinoffs

Technology could find application in multiple areas

The entry of the private sector into the space race brings new dimensions to the monetisation of space technology. Three high-profile billionaires — Richard Branson of Virgin Galactic, Jeff Bezos of Blue Origin, and Elon Musk of SpaceX — are all invested in space. On Sunday, the first crewed flight of Virgin Galactic’s VSS Unity carried Mr Branson as a passenger. Mr Bezos intends to hitch a ride on Blue Origin’s New Shepherd on July 20. Mr Musk is even more ambitious — he wants to go to Mars. SpaceX rockets already supply the International Space Station (ISS) and carry