Bizarre as it may sound, it is entirely true! PayPal and SETI, Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence, are working on creating a universal space currency! This is no publicity stunt actually, and is certainly not to facilitate trade with so far undiscovered alien races. PayPal and SETI are pre-emting the emergence of space tourism. Even one of the first men on the Moon, Astronaut Buzz Aldrin seems to be taken up with this concept. While space tourism might not be possible next year or even the year after, it is inevitable. And future astronauts will require some way to pay bills; they certainly will not be carrying heavy paper cash all over the solar system. SETI predicts that space tourism will be a reality in five years – and tourist astronauts will be able to visit space hotels on the Moon within ten years. While PayPay Galactic seems far-fetched at best – missions to land people on Mars in 2025 are being organised at this very moment and it is great that this endeavour by PayPay and SETI will create loads of awareness for the space community in general.
