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Subject
Human spaceflight.
Significance
Private spaceflight companies SpaceX, Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic are poised to begin offering spaceflight to paying passengers, achieving a goal that once looked unfeasibly ambitious.
Impacts
Virgin Galactic will remain a niche player, unlike Blue Origin and SpaceX.
Fatalities are likely at some point; the earlier they happen, the more they will damage the nascent industry.
With more lives at stake, addressing the problems of debris, space traffic management and orbital overcrowding will gain urgency.
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2019
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