Confusing news about public interest in space tourism

Zogby International has released a new survey that offers conflicting news for space tourism companies and proponents. The survey, conducted online in mid-March and released late last week, indicates that about 30 percent of Americans “are interested” in space tourism, although what “interested” means isn’t defined (interested in general? interested enough to participate if the price is right?) in the Zogby press release. However, the press release goes on to add that 41 percent said that “if money weren’t an issue, they would personally travel to the moon”, while 32 percent said the same about a trip to Mars.

Does that make any sense? If 30 percent of the public are “interested” in space tourism, why would a larger number be interested in going to the Moon or Mars “if money were no object”? Unfortunately, the press release doesn’t offer any further details, not a look at the survey instrument used for this poll, so it’s hard to gauge the intent of the respondents. (Other parts of this survey, which touched on a wide range of space issues, also suffer from a similar degree of vagueness.) While proponents of space tourism may be heartened to see nearly a third of the American public “interested” in space tourism, without knowing more about the poll, it’s difficult to say whether that figure means much of anything.

2 comments to Confusing news about public interest in space tourism

  • […] suggest a lack of sophistication. (I noted on Personal Spaceflight something similar about aspects of the poll dealing with space tourism.) Elsewhere, 54 percent of respondents said that NASA’s plans to return to the Moon should be […]

  • Peter Shearer

    Market research is a tricky business… market research in Space Tourism… REALLY tricky it seems. All I know is… I’d throw off the numbers real quick.

    Would I go…if money were no issue?
    Sub-orbital 100% Yes (as a warm-up)
    Orbital 100% Yes (would like to experience sleeping weightless)
    Moon 100% YES (Would I have to come back???)
    Mars 40% yes (I agree with Burt, it looks as bad as Mojave… ;)

    The desire to go into space is so strong (for me anyways) that I wonder if there’d be desire to come back (to earth)? I think that when the desire to come back kicks in (seeing earth in all “her” beauty)… THAT’ll be the true THRILL!

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