When a global pop star, a TV host, and a group of accomplished women venture into space together, it’s easy to dismiss it as just another headline-grabbing moment.
But Katy Perry singing What a Wonderful World while floating above our planet tells us something fascinating about where we’re headed. Just decades ago, space was the exclusive domain of military test pilots and career astronauts. Mostly men.
Now we’re watching a diverse crew of women, including entertainers and media personalities, experience space firsthand. Some might dismiss this as mere novelty, but I’d argue we’re witnessing the democratisation of space unfold in real-time. I guarantee that half the people who were criticising these women online, if given the opportunity, would’ve been on that space flight. It’s human nature to critique what we can’t access, but let’s be honest with ourselves – the allure of seeing our pale blue dot suspended in the cosmic darkness would be irresistible to many.
Consider the parallel with aviation’s evolution. In 1914, a flight from Tampa to St. Petersburg cost $400 (equivalent to about $12,000 today) and was seen as an extravagant luxury. Within decades, air travel transformed from an elite privilege into a mainstream mode of transportation. While current space tourism tickets might cost a pretty penny, the trajectory suggests a similar pattern of increasing accessibility.
Seeing Earth anew
But there’s something even more intriguing at play here. When Apollo 14 astronaut Edgar Mitchell looked back at Earth from space, he experienced what he later described as a cosmic shift in perspective – one that made earthly political divisions seem absurdly artificial. “From out there on the moon, international politics look so petty.” he said. This cognitive shift, what experts call “The Overview Effect” is a sudden recognition of Earth’s fragility and interconnectedness. This psychological phenomenon has transformed the worldview of nearly every astronaut who’s ventured beyond our atmosphere. Now, we’re seeing this transformative experience through a new lens, as Perry describes feeling “super connected to life” after her flight.
Why does this matter? Because cultural influence often precedes technological adoption. When influential figures share their experiences of space travel with millions of followers, they’re helping normalize the idea of human space exploration for the mainstream consciousness.
This raises some fascinating questions we should be considering: How might regular access to space travel influence our collective perspective on global challenges? What happens when the overview effect becomes a shared cultural experience rather than an astronaut’s privilege? And on a personal note, I’m curious if anyone’s cracked the code for zero-gravity gel manicures yet, as I’d love to get mine done on Mars one day.
Weighing costs and benefits
The critiques are valid and worth acknowledging. Yes, current space tourism is environmentally costly. Yes, there are pressing Earth-bound problems deserving attention. But history suggests that technological advancement isn’t a zero-sum game. The same innovations driving space tourism are contributing to satellite technology that helps us monitor climate change, predict natural disasters, and connect remote communities.
Research suggests that every $1 spent on basic research in space today will generate $40 worth of economic growth on Earth. But beyond the economic calculus, we’re witnessing something more profound: the early stages of humanity’s evolution into a spacefaring civilization.
The question isn’t whether space will become more accessible, but how we’ll shape that inevitability. Will we approach it thoughtfully, ensuring the benefits reach beyond the wealthy? Will we learn from aviation’s environmental mistakes as we scale up space tourism? These are the conversations we need to be having now, while the industry is still in its infancy.
As more diverse voices experience and share their perspective from above, we’re collectively developing a new way of seeing our world and our place in it. That shift in perspective might be exactly what we need to tackle the challenges facing our planet today.