Space Tourism

Back in the 60's, my father purchased a pair of travel tickets and got a free membership for the First Moon Flight Club from Pan Am. They envisioned space tourism with space hotels and moon holidays by the year 2000. Does anyone remember that program? Does anyone else have tickets?

My father still has the tickets I wonder if they are worth anything.

Early dreamsAfter early successes in space, much of the public saw intensive space exploration as inevitable. Those aspirations are remembered in science fiction such as Arthur C. Clarke's A Fall of Moondust and 2001: A Space Odyssey, Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator, Joanna Russ's 1968 novel Picnic on Paradise, and Larry Niven's Known Space stories. Lucian in the 2nd century AD in his book True History examines the idea of a crew of men whose ship travels to the Moon during a storm. Jules Verne also took up the theme of lunar visits in his books, From the Earth to the Moon and Around the Moon. Robert A. Heinlein’s short story The Menace from Earth, published in 1957, was one of the first to incorporate elements of a developed space tourism industry within its framework. During the 1960s and 1970s, it was common belief that space hotels would be launched by 2000. Many futurologists around the middle of the 20th century speculated that the average family of the early 21st century would be able to enjoy a holiday on the Moon. In the 1960s, Pan Am established a waiting list for future flights to the moon,[5] issuing free "First Moon Flights Club" membership cards to those who requested them.

en.wikipedia.org...

I was going to say I would of asked for a refund by now but I misread the opening lines so my bad.

Originally posted by EnlightenMe2012
He's still got the tickets? I would of asked for a refund by now

Ha ha... I know right? He is the type of person who saves everything just in case. He thinks everything will be worth something someday

I never realised they had these ideas about space tourism back in the 60's. I always thought Richard Branson's recent Space tourism plan was his own but I guess not.
Honestly though I don't think these kind of plans will ever seriously take off as disclosure would probably have to happen and as soon as the first shuttle blows up people will call for it to be stopped.
As for the tickets, well they could be worth a tidy sum if you show them to the right people like aeroplane or space related collectors.

Originally posted by Skorpiogurl

Originally posted by EnlightenMe2012
He's still got the tickets? I would of asked for a refund by now

Ha ha... I know right? He is the type of person who saves everything just in case. He thinks everything will be worth something someday

More than likely it was just a promotion for the airlines themselves. For all we know there probably is a warehouse full of them making them worth nothing if they were even worth anything in the first place.

I'm not sure it was a promo, they are actual tickets and a limited number were sold. After researching some, it seems to me they truly believed regular people would be vacationing on the moon! I am going to try and get ahold of the tickets and I'll post a photo.

In the meantime, here we have the future of commercial space travel:

www.spaceportamerica.com...

that's crazy that this discussion is going on here... guess i should have posted this reply www.abovetopsecret.com... here instead of there... anyways after watching 2001: a space odyssey many years ago, it is quite understandable that air lines believed we would be further along than we actually are, i'm sure pan am is not the only one, especially after watching 2001 and seeing the space station there with all the hotels, i clearly remember the hilton being on there, and a few others... if you can get those tickets posted that'd be sweet, i'd just like to see what they look like

reply to post by schitzoandro


I will most certainly do so either this week or next.

reply to post by Skorpiogurl


Can't wait for the Virgin project to finish up. If only it wasn't so pricey. 5-10 years it maybe cheap enough for the average person.

reply to post by RCTD58


Ya like anything else that comes out, wicked expensive at first then dirt cheap a few years later

When I was a kid a local paper did a big story about my family because were like the first ones on the street to get a "Microwave oven" haha. The thing was huge and it cost like almost 2 grand! I remember me and bro and my sis shoving everything we could find in there (except metal! ) and being SO amazed because you could cook something in a minute! Now you can get a microwave for 80 bucks!

reply to post by Skorpiogurl


I'm sure your parents must of loved you for filling the house with the smell of melted plastic and whatever substances you guys put in there. Do you plan on taking the trip if possible? My friend told me that we are looking at 250k price tag but in about a decade it maybe 50k. I have no links for sources so I'm just taking what he said with a grain of salt. Best thing we can do now is make a hydrogen balloon and attach a camera to see what is up there.

Well hopefully since we don't have the shuttle program anymore we may see more interest in private sector attempts at space.

Government really needs to cut the red tape for people who propose space projects though since I hear it's ridiculous. They also need to subsidize some industry to either build a base on the moon or mars then step out of their way and let them go to work on it.

If a company smells money in space endeavors that will be the quickest way for us to get up there and then tourism will follow relatively quickly. Let them make some mistakes and learn, I don't think people will hold it against them anymore than the early explorers losing ships to storms.

Originally posted by RCTD58
reply to post by Skorpiogurl

 

Can't wait for the Virgin project to finish up. If only it wasn't so pricey. 5-10 years it maybe cheap enough for the average person.

Hopefully in 5-10 years asda/walmart will have there own smart price version where you go up in an old converted bus or something similar.

Originally posted by kro32
Well hopefully since we don't have the shuttle program anymore we may see more interest in private sector attempts at space.

Government really needs to cut the red tape for people who propose space projects though since I hear it's ridiculous.

Surely if I wanted to build a space ship and travel into space that's my decision? Do the government own space now as well?
Next they will be bringing out intergalactic space tax.

Originally posted by Skorpiogurl
In the meantime, here we have the future of commercial space travel:

www.spaceportamerica.com...

From the website. "When it comes to outer space, New Mexico is bringing it down to earth!"

You gotta love that lol

Originally posted by RCTD58
reply to post by Skorpiogurl

 

I'm sure your parents must of loved you for filling the house with the smell of melted plastic and whatever substances you guys put in there. Do you plan on taking the trip if possible? My friend told me that we are looking at 250k price tag but in about a decade it maybe 50k. I have no links for sources so I'm just taking what he said with a grain of salt. Best thing we can do now is make a hydrogen balloon and attach a camera to see what is up there.

Of course! If and when it ever happens and if I have the money at the time, I'm so there...

I think I'll invest in a few choice airlines right now, ride it for the next 10 years haha

reply to post by EnlightenMe2012


Please don't give them any ideas for new taxes! I can see the space-toll booths now, then we'll have a moon tax and let's not forget about the o2 tax...

Makes me wonder if this is the same shtick!

www.spaceneedle.com...

Or if this time I will actually get the chance to go into space! I remember being told when I was a kid I would have a flying car by now...WHERE IS MY FREAK'N FLYING CAR! lol