Streets full of people, all alone, roads full of houses, never home, church full of singing, out of tune, everyone’s gone to the moon – Jonathan King
The news that we’ve spotted water on the moon has opened up opportunities for astronauts to go to live on the moon.
The idea would be that NASA could set up a colony on the Earth’s satellite.
Both for further lunar exploration but also as a refuelling spot for the ultimate goal, a mission to Mars.
All of which sounds appealing as Earth looks a pretty poor bet just now, what with Covid and climate change.
So how are our out-of-this-world tour providers doing with getting us all out there?
Well, they’re not our usual favourite Travel agents, rather billionaires Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos instead.
With NASA givven the go-ahead to, along with aerospace veteran Dynerics, to develop the technology to get us there.
Elon targeted next year for putting tourists on the moon while NASA believes the next decade is more likely.
It’s hardly one of your bucket deals, more like $70m for a three-day trip to the Moon.
Which hasn’t put Japanese moneybags Yusaku Maezawa who has booked his place.
For the rest of us that’s all a moonshot as one Space Cadet politician is fond of saying.
A trip to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida is more achievable.
And Cape Kennedy is open with airplane flights to Orlando with Covid regulations including face masks.
And there are other legends in headgear just down the road too at Disney World and Universal Orlando.
Back to Cape Kennedy here and I’m thinking space helmets would be even better than face masks.
And they’re offering launch viewings too!
Cape Kennedy has been on my bucket list for years and I can’t even blame Covid for not getting out there last year for the 50th anniversary of the Moon Landing.
Or take up an invitation to mark it in the Richard Nixon Presidential Library in California.
Nixon having taken the call from Neil Armstrong from the Moon in 1969.
I’ve enjoyed the company of the Cape Kennedy crew, astronaut Jon McBride included, on missions they’ve undertaken to Ireland over the years.
While Alabama too played a huge role in the whole Apollo expedition.
Ireland, of course, is a treat on the ground, but from Space too.
Jon was glad to be back in the land of his fathers.
While Chris Hadfield tweeted pictures of green, green Ireland from space, along with Gaelic messages.
And then hooked up with Tourism Ireland for a series of films to promote Donegal, Titanic Belfast and the Guinness Storehouse and Gaelic Sports.
MEET YOU IN SPACE
