Commercial space travel is a thrilling prospect for many. Humans have admired the heavens as long as Polaris has burned in the sky – but only a handful of astronauts have ever left the earth.

Several companies are currently researching spaceflight technologies with the hopes of providing a program for private citizens to pay to be launched into space for recreational purposes – “space tourism.” Million of dollars have already been invested into space tourism companies, and research continues.

But space tourism flights may never approach the level of ubiquity that airplane flights have achieved. In context of space tourism, it is somewhat ironic that the word exorbitant literally means “out-of-orbit.”

Currently, only extremely wealthy individuals can afford to participate in space tourism. Seven people have independently paid to participate in space tourism for sums of up to $40 million dollars.

Predicted prices fare no better. One of the largest companies researching space tourism, Virgin Galactic, currently allows its “future astronauts” to reserve seats on space flights at $250,000 each.

Research into what will invariably be a flight of fancy for the rich has come at significant financial and human cost. Aside from the millions of dollars that space tourism company Virgin Galactic has alone spent on research, the crash of a test vehicle in late 2014 resulted in the death of a pilot.

Exorbitant prices and the resulting small demographic of eligible participants may make space tourism appear a frivolous amusement for the wealthy. But despite these immense costs, I believe that space tourism is useful as it encourages public interest in the sciences and may provide useful research contributions to aeronautics.

Many landmark innovations used outside of the realm of spaceflight have come as a result of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) research. Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs), freeze drying and memory foam are but a few of the technologies created through space-based research.

Similarly, solutions developed for space tourism could be applied to other fields. While research would proceed with spaceflight in mind, other benefits could inadvertently manifest, such as improved seating for airplanes.

Furthermore, NASA has historically grappled with challenges to its funding: its budget has only decreased since the Apollo missions, and some politicians call for further cuts.

Space tourism creates a contingency for NASA’s defunding. Even if the government becomes unwilling or unable to fund space research, private companies in the space will continue to make advancements.

Altogether, while the average citizen is unlikely to participate in space tourism programs, the potential technologies discovered through space tourism research promise benefits for all.