Uploaded July 2021 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago

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Below you can find the paper I wrote on this topic but I couldn't fit the sources, so i you want them, just let me know. The media used in this video was taken from NASA and ESA.

The growing commercial spaceflight industry will bring us another significant step towards the sci-fi futures we’ve been reading, watching and dreaming about since childhood. In this video, I’ll discuss the dangers, benefits, past, and future of commercial spaceflight and our involvement in it.

While the emergence of commercial companies developing technologies to further our reach into the final frontier brings invaluable benefits such as a new economy and more knowledge on how humans are affected by deep space, it will come at a cost.

Space travel is hard and dangerous.

Many people have died en route to our current level and achievement and understanding.

How much more will humans have to sacrifice to achieve a sustainable space tourism, telecommunications, scientific and technological industry we are striving to build today?

So, the emergence of commercial spaceflight comes with plenty of pros and cons. While all of them move the needle forward with regards to progress towards a new era, some beg the question if now is the right time to pursue low-earth orbit and beyond for humans.

Just because we can technically achieve it, should we?

One of the first shared advantages to the expanding commercial space industry is the vastly expanding access to space for many different sectors. Lee Billings wrote in Nature that after the success of SpaceShipOne, astronomers were excited to bring telescopes past the Moon’s orbit, planetary scientists began planning orbital missions to study the formation of our solar system, and scientists from all disciplines were excited to support the emerging industry” (Billings 2011). While we now hear stories of astronomers complaining that Starlink satellites are photobombing their data collection, it seems that commercial space, albeit expensive, addresses the problems it creates by expanding access to space.

More Data for the Safety of Future Astronauts
Until very recently, most astronauts have been primarily young, healthy male pilots. The new population of astronauts to purchase tickets aboard the first space tourism flights will give us access to data we’ve never been able to collect. With new astronauts who are willing to take the same risks the pilots took before them, we’ll be able to measure how microgravity and radiation affect those with underlying health conditions and those of previously outlying ages, cultures, medical histories, and genders (Blue, 2017).

A Lower Cost of Entry
Ultimately, the new availability of low earth orbit to humans will affect more than just the “Overview” effect the astronauts bring back to Earth. With space becoming less and less expensive, students of all shapes, sizes, and backgrounds will see themselves in the folks taking these spaceships past Earth’s atmosphere and believe they can do so as well. With space becoming more affordable and accessible, new companies will form a new sector of the economy for satellite servicing, space hotels, new paths of education and so much more (Lambright, 2015). Ultimately, inspiring students to continue to pursue STEM fields will help renew the country’s technical and educational prowess for future generations (Near Earth LLC, 2010).



Disadvantages of Commercial Spaceflight
Okay, so Humanity is moving forward with the emergence of commercial spaceflight, but at what cost? The carbon emissions from launches, the known and unknown dangers of launching humans into space, and the age-old dilemma of the other side of America’s budget create a firm argument against the pursuit of quick access to space.

So how do all of these launches affect the environment?
With current propellant types and the foresight that launches will reach a cadence of two or three per day, carbon emissions would rank among the highest sources in the world affecting global warming (Ross, 2019). While Elon Musk and the Xprize Foundation are currently funding a competition for carbon capture technology, algae farms may not be enough to address future predictions of emissions.
The Dangers of Human Spaceflight
Next, Eighteen Americans have lost their lives either in flight or in preparation for a mission to space (Miller, 2019). Due to this, NASA’s safety regulations are extremely strict. While this makes NASA’s timelines a little longer than before, it ensures the safety of the crew. The main question as it pertains to commercial spaceflight is whether or not commercial companies will be held to the same standards (Prem, 2020). It’s possible that enough disasters will slow the entire space industry to a halt and render all advantages listed above obsolete.