How about a vacation in outer space?

It may come as no surprise that more than 40% of Americans are looking for an out of this world" vacation experience. Except that these people are waiting to pack their bags for a trip that would allow them literally to leave their earthly cares behind. Responding to the 1997 Yesawich, Pepperdine & Brown/Yankelovich Partners National Leisure Travel Monitor. they said they hope to see the day when space travel is not just for NASA's astronauts. but for ordinary persons as well.

Forty-two percent said they would consider traveling through space via some kind of space cruise vessel that would offer amenities similar to an ocean-going cruise ship. Additionally, 34% would be interested in vacationing for 14 days aboard the Space Shuttle should such a trip ever become available to the public. These intrepid individuals said they would be willing to spend (on average) $10,800 for the trip.

Would space cruises include moon-buggy races? Would the weightlessness of zero-gravity rooms coax more passengers to the dessert buffet? Would lost luggage return to Earth in a...