SoylentNews is people
SoylentNews
from the what's-that-worth-in-Martian-zlonks? dept.
SpaceX tourist trips to space station reportedly to cost $55 million each:
A trio of space tourists will blast off to the International Space Station (ISS) in a SpaceX capsule, after Axiom Space made a deal with Elon Musk's company on Thursday. The first 10-day trip could happen in the latter half of next year, the company said in a release.
However, it won't be cheap -- a seat could set you back around $55 million, the New York Times reported, and one person has already signed up. Two days will be spent traveling to and from the space station, and eight on board. The tourists will be accompanied by an Axiom astronaut who'll make sure they don't distract the ISS crewmembers.
"This will be just the first of many missions to ISS to be completely crewed and managed by Axiom Space -- a first for a commercial entity," Axiom boss Michael T. Suffredini said in a statement. "Procuring the transportation marks significant progress toward that goal, and we're glad to be working with SpaceX in this effort."
Previously:
SpaceX Announces Partnership to Send Four Tourists Into Deep Orbit
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 09 2020, @09:03PM (6 children)
My example is based on life experience have had the fortune of living from rags to something nicer than rags. People who idealize millionaires have no idea how millionaires live. Interestingly enough it's also the same in the other direction. Those born into money have little no clue about how 'the other side' lives, relying more on tropes and social media than reality.
Lease on a $10k car is about $125/month. $50k a year is netting around $3k a month. GMAFB. The only reason somebody would have any difficulties whatsoever on $50k is living above their means or living in a shitty place. No idea why anybody would, in a million years, ever want to live in a place like San Francisco. You can find interesting people and career opportunities everywhere. But living hand to mouth on $100k is something you truly have to seek far and wide to find.
But really I don't think I'm going to enter into this conversation. The one thing that the growing closeness of the classes in real terms has brought is entitlement which leads to irrational envy for what little differences remain. This entire thread being such a perfect example. 'Omg, millionaires can go take trips to the ISS? Why can't everybody!? SO UNFAIR!'
(Score: 2) by FatPhil on Monday March 09 2020, @10:20PM (5 children)
Most of the time, quite frugally. That's why they've become millionaires - better money management, and thence an ability to get themselves a seat on the exponential-growth (until ooops) conveyer belt. Too many people in the US at least are in the twice-nothing-is-nothing version of that equation.
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Tuesday March 10 2020, @02:09PM (4 children)
Oh, dear, should we get our son a Ferrari or a Porch for his 16th birthday?
Which private charter school should we send the kids to?
The lower I set my standards the more accomplishments I have.
(Score: 2) by FatPhil on Tuesday March 10 2020, @02:36PM (1 child)
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Tuesday March 10 2020, @04:01PM
I could probably agree with you there, because a million isn't what it once was.
You and I may be talking about a different levels of wealth.
The lower I set my standards the more accomplishments I have.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 10 2020, @04:12PM
That's, again, a stereotype - not reality.
61% [forbes.com] of households earning > $250k per year drive Hondas, Toyas, and Fords. The most common preference being Hondas. Great quality and great price. Those are the sort of decisions that attract the rich. That also misses some nuance. A friend's preferred vehicle is Audi and he tends to always have a ride that's at most 1-2 years old. But there's a catch. He is probably the most frugal man I know. If he can get a tax refund on a single paper clip, he'll certainly be grabbing that receipt and claiming that $0.01. With cars he discovered a little 'trick'. He buys the latest model - 1 year. A year later he trades it in, for the next latest model - 1 year. Turns out that the depreciation in price after the first year is *extremely* low, so his 'lease' (in terms of the value lost per month) ends up being less than what you'd pay for e.g. a Honda Civic.
So optically it looks like he's spending a lot - in practice he's probably spending less than the guy with a 4 year old accord in the driveway! Obviously not a 'trick' most could afford to do, but it emphasizes that people don't get rich (let alone stay that way) by living anything like the stereotypes. If you live in a middle class neighborhood, there's a pretty decent chance one or more of your neighbors is a millionaire. There's about 12 million [nypost.com] millionaire households in the US, and that number is skyrocketing as more people are finding their way to riches.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 10 2020, @05:02PM
Front Porch or Back Porch?