Space tourism: "I am convinced that we will see prices drop", assures Patrick Baudry

Europe 1 2:18 p.m., September 19, 2021, modified at 2:21 p.m., September 19, 2021

A giant leap for the democratization of space?

SpaceX's first four space tourists landed in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Florida on Saturday evening after spending three days in space.

A success for the first orbital mission without any professional astronaut on board.

On Europe 1, the Frenchman Patrick Baudry, the second astronaut to go into space in 1985, believes that these trips, still excessively expensive, will see their price decrease in the years to come.

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The astronaut underlines the prowess of this SpaceX mission, called "Inspiration4", where everything was automated since no professional astronaut was part of the crew.

"This is what is remarkable in this flight. It is a first", supports Patrick Baudry, specifying: "The capsule was also fully automatic when it was last used, so there is no of difference".

Highly trained space tourists

The astronaut also underlines the training of these first space tourists who already have a good level like the billionaire Jared Isaacman, who chartered the mission and who is a confirmed pilot. "The crew is really of a certain size. They should not be devalued," he said. "They have had six months of training, which is not nothing. They already have a certain level, so we cannot say that they are just anyone," continues Patrick Baudry.

This first SpaceX flight was largely funded by billionaire Jared Isaacman, to the tune of 100 million euros.

Space flight is therefore not yet the responsibility of mass tourism.

"The quality of the crew is that they were able to pay for their flight. These are still extremely expensive trips", concedes Patrick Baudry, while putting this feat into perspective: "I am convinced that we will see the decrease in the price of these flights. Less elitist people will be able to compose the crews that will leave in the future in near-Earth space ".

Book flights around Earth to those who can afford it

A new flight of this type is planned by SpaceX in January 2022. The astronaut approves these steps taken at the initiative of billionaires. "When we see what professional astronauts do with our money, by going to the ISS (the International Space Station, editor's note), we say to ourselves that it is also good that it is people who pay for their trip themselves to finally do the same thing, "says Patrick Baudry.

"I have been saying for 40 years that flights close to Earth should be reserved for people who can afford the cost of their trip," continues the astronaut, who questions the usefulness of the European Space Agency's missions. and France because according to him, "there is nothing more to learn around the Earth". And Patrick Baudry to launch: "We really have to go to Mars, it's urgent!"