Public Relations: The Key to Development of Space Tourism

Abstract

The role of public relations in the development of the space tourism industry was identified and documented in this paper. Initially it was concluded that th ere is considerable profit potential in commercial space tourism, based upon an aggregate analysis of publish ed profit estimates. Six primary impediment s to space tourism development were identified, explained and documented; insufficient capita l, governme ntal laws and regulations, lack of public awareness, the need for collaborative, coalition -based development, the absence of a verified market and perceptions of space tourism risk. Fortunately, specialized public relations solutions exist for each of thes e barri ers. These solutions include investor relations, lobbying, awareness campaigns, coalition -building, marketing public relations and risk and crisis communication. I. Introduction HIS paper summarizes one study from an ongoing research agenda dedicated to expanding our knowledge of space tourism public relations and public information activity. As this paper was written in the summer of 2007, the eventual fate of the e merging space tourism industry wa s very much up in the air, so to speak. Would it catc h on, and lead to the commercialization of space? Or will lofty predictions and hopeful projections exceed the reality of space tourism, resulting in deflated expectations and the failure of the industry to develop as intended? The present study cannot ans wer such questions, of course, at least not directly and empirically. Instead, however, we can hypothesize the obstacles and barriers preventing space tourism development and ascertain the existence of remedies and solutions to those obstacles. In this man ner it is possible to predict the likelihood of space tourism commercial progress. Using primarily historical -critical research methods, we have analyzed the self -created and mediated literature on space tourism. A series of a half -dozen specific impedimen ts to creation of a commercial space tourism industry was identified . These obstacles to the development of space tourism will be explained, exemplified and documented in this paper. They include insufficient capitalization, governmental laws and regulatio ns, inadequate public awareness, the need for collaborative coalitions, the absence of a verified market and public perceptions of space tourism risks. The second main part of the present study explores the existence of remedies or solutions to these indus trial impediments. Fortunately, each of the aforementioned obstacles to commercial space tourism can be effectively mitigated by one or more specialized subtypes of contemporary public relations practice. These communication -based problem -solving genres in clude investor relations, lobbying, public awareness campaigns, coalition -building, marketing public relations (also called promotion), and risk and crisis communication. But first we will consider the potential significance of the commercial space tourism market, and briefly note the methodology and informational inputs used in the present study . II. The Potential Profitability of Commercial Space Tourism A wide variety of estimates of the profit potential of the commercial space tourism industry have been pr oduced over the years. These predictions are based upon studies with oftentimes varying assumptions and methods, resulting in a variety of estimates. Nevertheless, most analyses predict a reasonable or even exciting potential profit payoff