Space Travel - Back with a Big Bang

BACK WITH A BIG BANG

 

Here we are at last.  Back with a Big Bang, some might say.

 

As promised, dear Readers, we’re bringing you a quick catch up on our ultimate Travel Trend:  space travel, ahead of making our way, rather more sedately, around Europe in a bid to bring you ideas and thoughts for the coming months.

 

However, let’s have a quick catch-up as to where we are in the space race.  Firstly, setting the scene with https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nq5vZ1I0HAU to get us in the mood.  Although I don’t know about you, dear Readers, but considering the recent worldwide events, it does feel a little bit…how do we put it…apocalyptic…?

 

If I refer you back to our previous blog posts on the subject, our conclusions were that basically Branson was our most realistic chance of getting into space, but that Musk was the most authentic.  However we questioned the viability of Musk in terms of was he going to forget the commercial flight enterprise in favour of NASA?  Well, read on, dear Readers, read on.

 

On 30^th May 2020, despite being in the middle of a global pandemic of proportions no one could have dreamt of, SpaceX made history with the first successful human space launch.  This launch vehicle will now be certified for operational use for the regular transportation of people into space.  That’s pretty huge.  This was the first time it’s been done with humans on it (two brave guys called Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken who just happened to be NASA astronauts).

 

However, chaps, here’s the NASA bit coming up:  it turns out that NASA created the Commercial Crew space programme in order to encourage private development so that basically people such as Musk could spend their own money developing a commercial vehicle which NASA could use.

 

We have touched on this before and it becomes even more obvious now, but thanks to Musk and the successful launch, NASA no longer needs to rely upon buying tickets on the Russian Soyuz spacecraft to get access to the International Space Station and let’s face it, that’s huge.  The more cynical amongst us, let’s face it, will consider that was the main aim for this whole circus.  However, everyone involved maintains that in reality this is the beginning of a new era for commercial space travel.

 

Interestingly enough, SpaceX has actually already signed an agreement with a private space tourism booking company called Space Adventures (https://spaceadventures.com) and really, dear Readers, Google it for yourselves, you really don’t want to know how much this costs.  I mean, a starting ball-park of $15 million should give you an idea…However, an most importantly for Travel Trends (we may have to enjoy this one vicariously) using the Crew Dragon, SpaceX is hoping to send the first paying tourists up on orbital flights by the end of next year.  Although, one could argue, like anything the first developmental phase will be the most expensive, and already there is talk of identifying a sustainable and reusable launch system which would dramatically bring the price down, it may be a bit of a wait for us mere mortals still.

 

Of course, it won’t all be tourists, and we must realise that this will predominately, at least to make it viable, be used by private astronauts and scientists and that, I think you’ll agree, is extremely interesting.  Ergo space no longer remains the reserve of NASA and its friends, but is opened up to private and more diverse research.  Is this a good thing or a bad thing?

 

And guess what, if your mind isn’t already a little bit blown, it cannot escape Hollywood.  Yes, you guessed it, Tom Cruise is planning to film on the International Space Station.  Of course he is.  Although I’m not entirely sure what his Scientology friends would have to say about that one!

 

Watch this space, dear Readers…

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Renaissance - Guess Who's Back

RENAISSANCE

 

Dear Readers,

 

Guess who’s back…back again!

 

Well, it’s been interesting, has it not?  And to be honest, your Hapless Blogger didn’t really know what to say to you in light of everyone being in lockdown and completely uncertain of what was going to happen to them.

 

However, in recent weeks, as lockdown eases, we begin to emerge like little moles into the sunlight (or perhaps sleepy dormice would be a better analogy, since I think moles are blind…) anyhow, you get the idea.  It seems that, as things are starting, just starting to get on the path to being back to normal, whatever the new normal may be, our thoughts are turning once more to travel.  It is therefore appropriate that we reprise our adventures!

 

So, buckle up, dear Readers, and let’s get going!

 

As restrictions ease, we’re going to have a look at the latest travel trends for this year, including some informative blog posts on the latest travel advice, including what to wear and what to expect as we begin to spread our wings.

 

However, let’s not forget what our MO is in the first place, and you’ll have read, hopefully, dear Readers, our blog posts on Space travel, and I think you’ll all agree, that we have a hell of a lot to talk about in terms of a certain Mr Musk!

 

Coming back to earth, we’re going to look in more detail about Staycations, ideas of what you can do at home, and, dare I say it, camping holidays.  However, not camping as we know it, dear Readers, but luxury camping holidays to such exotic locations as France and Corsica:  the idea being, driving rather than flying.  Half of you have probably already been driven mad by children and grandchildren, so let’s look at the likes of Euro Disney and child-friendly holidays that you will all (questionable) enjoy.  Perhaps that’s stretching it a bit, but let’s face it, there’s nothing more educational than travel.  You might even be treated to a re-appearance by Jolly Hockey Sticks, the Hapless Blogger’s rather scathing mothership…

 

Since you’ll need a holiday after all that parenting/babysitting we’re going to look at beach clubs – down with the kids cool or emperor’s new clothes?  Are beach clubs the reserve of TOWIE (a British reality show for our European readers) or are they somewhere super cool and chilled to hang out?  Here we’ll visit the hot spots of Spain, Mallorca and Corsica:  for those who are new to our blog, we try and keep our posts to personal experience, because we really believe that that is the best way to describe things, and also unearths some funny stories along the way.

 

Then, being greedy little foodies, we’re going to eat our way round Europe…because why not?  We’re going to look at the best foodie holidays and even learn to make pasta in Italy…how cool is that?

 

We’re also going to look at great rail travel:  from the Flying Scotsman to the Orient Express as we explore different travel trends through the ages to modern day.  Was it better back then?  Was there more glamour?  Or is it better now?

 

Something else we haven’t yet covered in our blog posts is cruising.  Either love it or hate it, it’s an enormous industry with even bigger ships.  So we going to look at options big and small:  from the biggest ships the size of small cities, to sailing your own vessel in shark-infested waters!  Well, possibly not…

 

As ever, we welcome all your comments, and we encourage you to check out our social media to get your feedback.  Please, please don’t hesitate to ask any questions and leave your comments, because we love to hear from you.

 

So for now, dear Readers, welcome back to the land of travel and travel trends.  Fasten your seatbelts and off we go!

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