About Valerie & Space Tourism Guide

In today’s world, it is increasingly difficult to find a feeling of awe, even when viewing the most beautiful sights on earth. Technology has made it harder to disconnect from the internet and connect with the world around us.

Simultaneously, technology is also making it possible for ordinary citizens to dream of traveling among the stars. Space tourism is possible – for now, only if you have enough resources, but eventually, accessible for all.

In this environment, I founded Space Tourism Guide to help create travel resources that re-spark our collective sense of awe.

I believe that the night sky creates an intrinsic sense of awe in every human; the stars provide context and scale for our planet, and our individual place on earth, in space, and in time. When we look at the stars, we realize how small we are — and how important our planet is as our home.

By providing the most accurate and accessible resources for space-related travel around the world, our goal is to help every traveler who seeks that sense of quiet inner peace, humility, and wonder that the night sky can provide.

In the future, I want every human on earth to have seen our galaxy, the Milky Way. I believe that this single act is the first step toward creating a world of conscientious citizens who protect our planet by realizing the fragility of our place among the stars. I call this the Milky Way Effect, and every resource we provide should help travelers increase interest or accessibility to this experience.

In the long term, we hope to create resources and opportunities for travelers to experience the Overview Effect, a more impactful and well-documented experience astronauts report which dramatically increases their resource-consciousness and care for the planet. To do this, I will be on the front-line of creating resources surrounding space tourism activities that are available at reasonable prices to the general public.

Our company is founded on several guiding values:

1. Accuracy Matters: Our resources must be accurate, timely, and helpful. Without ensuring accuracy, we risk frustrating and alienating people who seek the awe-inspiring experiences we promote.
2. Space Should Be Accessible to Everyone. There is an attitude that space is only accessible to the super-rich. We do not believe this is true. Any human on the planet can have a space experience, and we work to create the resources to help them do so. In the long term, we hope to provide financial assistance for space-based experiences.
3. Awe Inspires Action. When we stand in awe of the night sky, we are changed by this experience. We are more conscientious citizens, more resources aware, and take better care of our planet. We create resources that provide opportunities to be awe-struck.

So who is Valerie?

I’m the founder and editor of Space Tourism Guide; my background is in psychology and business, and I’m a full-time writer on this site and several others.

I help the writing team cover all of the topics you see on the site, but my favorite topic right now is writing about how to see rocket launches around the world.

I grew up in Alaska, and was lucky to spend long winter nights admiring the stars and seeing the northern lights. I remember seeing Hale-Bopp comet in the sky as a child, and learning about the space shuttle from my grandfather. These early experiences inspired a love of space, which I came back to as a writer to create this site.