More ISPS coverage

MSNBC’s Alan Boyle checks on the potential profitability of space tourism in his wrapup of the first day of the International Symposium for Personal Spaceflight in Las Cruces, NM. Peter Diamandis says that he doesn’t expect “real profits” for such companies until about 2012, four years after he expects commercial flights to begin. “You didn’t see Amazon or the Internet companies turn a real profit for three to five years.” He also reviews the da Vinci announcement and other developments from the meeting. (Also read his helpful tips, courtesy of former astronaut Tom Jones, for how future space tourists can avoid being slobs.)

The Las Cruces Sun-News also reviews the meeting, and looks at the concern among some in the industry about the effect of an accident. “If you end up hurting or killing someone, I think the market will be set back a long, long time,” said Mike Holguin, an Atlas program manager for Lockheed Martin. Not clear in the statement is how early into commercial passenger spaceflight such an accident would have an effect like this, and just how long a “long, long time” would be.