For the past four years, Elon Musk’s company SpaceX has undergone 15 commercial space flights using a space shuttle known as Falcon 9, located at Cape Canaveral, Florida. These missions weren’t just simply get in-get out missions either, they were privately crewed with a destination towards the International Space Station. Other companies have also been taking a crack at commercial space flights. Last year, Virgin Galactic, a company similarly aimed at space, sent their first mission towards the sky, reaching 53 miles above the Earth.

Thanks to these companies, multiple advances have been made towards space travel, and there are many reasons to continue advancing, even here on Earth. For example, commercial planes generally move at a speed of around 520 miles per hour, while the speed of the International Space Station is nearly 18000 miles per hour. Using a spacecraft, it could be possible to complete a rotation around the planet in just 90 minutes. If this process were to be available to everyone, then travel could speed up to just a few minutes rather than multiple hours.

Commercial space flights don’t need to just transport people, however. They could also transport food or even vital medical supplies to areas where either is lacking. Of course, it isn’t as simple as just blasting off to space and watching the world spin- costs and efficiency are also a concern, as currently, space flights are way too expensive to be viable as a transportation method. Another issue with space flight is the danger that surrounds it, because if there’s even a single malfunction in a spacecraft, then the spacecraft could stop working or even explode. For example, recently, one of Elon Musk’s space shuttles had a leak in the fuel, eventually causing it to explode over the Atlantic Ocean.

Space flight may seem exciting, but the future seems like it’ll hold more than just exploring the cosmos. Planes and even everyday cars are still advancing, and they don’t seem to be stopping anytime soon. Hear it from local science teacher Mrs. Blankenship, “Planes will still be developing in the future, as they will likely get faster and safer.” Speaking of planes, cars may become less ideal in the future because of advances in other vehicles. When asked regarding the matter, Mrs. Blankenship responded, “Cars will probably always be a means of transportation, but less so in big cities.” Although the future may be scary, it is fun to think about what it’s going to look like, and space seems to be a great way to start advancing.