Abstract
The development of outer space is increasingly driven by private companies, including ones offering touristic spaceflight. Advances in sub-orbital, orbital, and beyond orbit spaceflight are occurring rapidly. Tourists have already travelled to sub-orbital and orbital space, and tickets have been sold for future trips beyond Earth’s orbit. As commercial space travel continues to drive the development of reusable, economical launch technologies, humankind’s ability to access outer space compounds. However, as space tourism comes to fruition, it has become clear that the sector faces significant impediments and constraints. These include factors such as climate change, the buildup of space debris, and safety concerns. This paper presents a thematic content analysis of the three most prominent space industry news sites in addition to the most prominent space-related Reddit group to identify perceived constraints associated with space tourism, thereby highlighting likely future areas of tension related to the sector’s continued expansion. The multi-level perspective of socio-technical transitions is used to conceptualise and categorise these constraints.