A new Frontier!

 Space Travel?

From tourism to Mars and beyond in the next one hundred years, colonies and the Internet will be superseded by new things and we might begin the mission to our nearest star in the hope of making contact with other aliens!

Will we ever get to a large Space ship is a unknown, since we do not as yet fully know how we might get through the Kuiper belt and how does gravity act outside our own Solar system?

But we will establish colonies on Mars, the Moon and some other planets, while others will be for research and science perhaps further out!

Without a new shuttle being developed, we will be limited since Space-X is not advanced as it is claimed to be and it all depends on how much money can be invested now to keep the International Space Station operating and getting updated, if not rebuilt in Space?

Greed over Safety!

 Titanic Tourism?

The warning signs and the dangers were ignored for the big bucks, it is always the same. When the Titanic was launched from Belfast now N-Ireland, it lacked lifeboats and the Captain was told, 'If he was not happy, he could find another ship?

One could say, 'the whole matter is cursed with fatality and arrogance, one is not impressed with Titanic tourism or the desecration of a sea grave, since it is only and hundred and twelve years, and it might be different in other cases maybe?

Like space, the deep oceans are dangerous places and equipment must be double checked after every trip, since unknown factors will be at play from space dust, to fractures from pressures on the hull.

Has COVID-19 destroyed the travel Business?

 Airlines Recovering!

It would seem after the past two years of this Pandemic the airline industry has suffered, but now it is coming back since we cannot live without global travel?

Freight was the mainstay of aviation with the parcel carriers and even Amazon getting on into their own aircraft in Europe and joining the movers and shakers perhaps some of this investment has made its way into developing space tourism?

Social distancing remains a key factor in flying, with the restrictions coming down it has caused a uptake once more on COVID infections to rise, only time will tell!

What is next for Sir Richard Branston?

 Is space his final Frontier?

When you are super rich one can ones fantasies fulfilled both Musk and Bezos are doing their own things to get humans to the Moon and Mars if not further afield?

Touching space tourism will bring in the bucks for perhaps the next twenty years, but eventually this market will dry up, so one has to wonder what Mr. Branston has in mind for his next venture and will it be in space or maybe under the oceans?

Virgin Atlantic has been hit by Covid-19 and the rail franchises don't really make the money they once did, same reason this Pandemic!

Aviation Changing?

 Despite the dreaded COVID!

Aircraft with no windows and head up displays look like a new future, but will the public go with it and why do we need it anyway?

Both Boeing and Airbus seem determined to go this way in their new project aircraft that will replace many current designs operating now! But not all companies are doing this but will rather stay with the conventional concepts?

One reason maybe to do with the more delta wing concepts of the electric engine powered aircraft, if they ever become a reality? 

KLM is leading the way with a one-third mock up that can fly of this new aerodynamic design, but the U.S. is working on a new supersonic project and other nations are trying to develop semi space flight aircraft more for commercial flying than the current projects for space tourism!

Ferries.

Improving and new power Sources!

Ferries in the shipping world are growing demand, new power propulsion and comfort more than many are lead to believe, despite the many new bridges being constructed around the world?

Island communities still need shipping and tourism to keep their local economies going and the roll on/off ferry is that vital link. Electric propulsion is now leading the way as far as we know to improve the environment as others forms are withdrawn.

Meanwhile comfort on these boats are being improved all the time and this is encouraging both their demand and use and this will be the more so as Diesel is replaced and newer designs for stability and endurance come to the fore?

Many older ferries that sink around the world, is more due to ignorance and maintaining rusty vessels!  Where many corrupt officials and governments turn a blind eye, instead of enforcing safety and declining licences to unscrupulous people!

Cruising Along?

For how Long!

One wonders in the next one-hundred years, if space tourism will replace ships, sails and canal boats or will they just be as popular as ever? Space is enticing, but flying is not for everyone and we should not try to force things like this on people just let them be!

Cruising is popular because today ships are built as floating islands with nearly everything one would want and not need to make land fall, but they do and this to keep the tourists happy with and excursion while the ship is replenished with fresh food and fuel where needs be?

On the other hand river cruising and canal boats are more slower and have a rich historical and nature interest with them for a more gentle pace of life! Sailing will always be popular because of the challenges of keeping control of the weather and environment?

New Zealand Enters Space!

The first material Rocket?

New Zealand's aviation industry, yes they have one?

Has developed what it claims is the first bio rocket that will launch a payload into space and leave no debris! This new rocket is made of nylon materials and is tough enough to do the job of getting their first self launched communications satellite into space!

This will be an encouragement to many small nations that they can have their own and have no need of relying on others for the expensive work! Many nations have already expressed an interest in this system, but one does not know what the actual satellite is made from and what will be its fate on re-entry to our atmosphere?

There are many new concepts and claims being made about inter-Earth travel and that Space tourism may take-off within the next few years? This is because both Russia and China are considering to build a new MIR station, if the U.S abandon the International Space station for committing to a Moon base and expedition to Mars by 2030?

Commercial Space Flight?

How near is It!

Many like Branson have built and are testing their designs, but as to when will it really be safe to commercially fly into Space is a guess? There are several factors that are holding back inner Earth flight and it has nothing to do with current technology, but rather secret military spy plane missions and low orbiting intelligence satellites!

A collision by one or the other at this time is a very probable reality and the loss of life, would be a long term commercial disaster for Space tourism? So we have a long way to go in relation to getting up there, first the early tests on Space Bots are successful, but not all nations as yet will have access to these new types of Satellites?

Cost is another factor in limiting those who will be able to make this type of flight and it is not clear what emergency measures are in place if something went wrong? These new Space ships as yet do not seem to have a facility for an escape pod or life line in the event of a fire! 

Boris Bus.

London Transport Withdrawals.

The concept of the so called Boris bus/Wrightbus New Route Master (2013) was a good idea at the time, but it was soon found to have two serious flaws? Planned as a reintroduction of the famous RM RML series in modern service it promised London charm and the Mayor of London Boris Johnson believed it would impact on a rise in tourism?

The first flaw was the open deck-stairwell at the rear, allowing Oyster card holders to jump the fares to the rear and upper deck. The second was that the back of the bus upstairs having no rear window made it very dark, the problem was the expense to rectify and thus it was decided that it was cheaper to replace them from this year.

London transport has opted for an Italian Electric bus instead which is more environmentally friendly, after the initial trials of ten this is now to be massed introduced!

Space Tourism.

With the recent Crash.

Money making ventures are never held up by set backs as we have recently seen in the United States. Millionaires will some times finance dead ducks, like Howard Hughes and His ill fated Spruce Goose.

But as we have seen many new nations around the world are joining in to capitalise on space. In fifty years from now, perhaps the theme parks will be for the few who fear to leave the ground and many more inter-Earth ships will be about all competing as the airlines do today for cheaper fares?

Battling with Tecnology.

New things to Learn.

They say that it is 'hard to teach an old dog new tricks? I would have to agree with that claim. Tecnology will always move on, but people will always be slow to catch up with it. In the United Kingdom the governemt wants people to be digitaly minded and yet many regions have declined to teach children basic computer programming. Old folk remain very limited to understanding anyway.

These past weeks the tourist space plane crashed in the States, but no one is giving up. NASA lost their rocket and we are promised that within the next five to ten years most cars in Europe will be electric.

Politics has forced changes in space and in relation to fuel at the moment, but I expect that in ten years we will see many changes while the machines of today will remain. The esential systems in place to supply ISS (International Space Station) will continue, the Electric car may not be a success as hoped for since power cuts could be a serious disadvantage. Sir Richard Branson will be nearer to his vision of space tourism.

China, India, Iran and Nigeria will be the new kids on the block in relation to space exploration, bases on the Moon and stations in space!

Narrow Gauge Railways.

Wales, Isle of Man and Quarry's.

The Narrow Gauge was in its hey day associated with quarrying, this is so in Wales with slate. Today many of these railways in the UK are now tourist attractions. It was in World War-I (1914-18 that a portable railway was used to supply front line British troops.

Being small with engines only up to four tons, if the track was damaged by German shelling it could be quickly repaired and replaced. But this had not seen an end to the uses of the narrow gauge railway. In the Ukraine and Belarus there are extensive networks of these lines for the production of peat.

Ireland also has an extensive network operated by Board Na Mona in its own peat production. I have come across some very good narrow gauge models in the Railway Modeller magazine of layouts based on Irish scenes.