Although the range of activities undertaken in outer space has grown
exponentially since the launch of Sputnik 1, humankind is only now on the
threshold of the next great ‘leap’ into space. Indeed, the focus for the
development of space technology has historically been on military/quasi-military
uses of space, although most of these applications have also evolved into very
significant commercial activities. As a consequence, it was not until the
beginning of the 21st century that the concept of a ‘space tourist’ has actually
become a reality.