Second Life now has almost 2M registered residents in its virtual world with more corporations and institutions and universities on board. And of course the International Spaceflight Museum (ISM), located in Spaceport Alpha has been a very populous area with all the cool rocket, consistent presentations and meetings, rocket rides to the ISS and a docking space shuttle, planetary and scientific information, etc.
And everybody wants to put their presence in Second Life. Cnet, Wired, PopSci, IBM, Harvard, Manhattan are all ready there.
And in April 2007, the Space Tourism Society is holding a International Space Experience Symposium in Second Life. Yuri's Night, the World Space Party is talking about having its various parties from all around the world stream and broadcast their movies on multiple screens within a Yuri's Night area. Those who can not physically experience the party can watch vicariously through the screens and chat it up with other avatars as well.
So with museums, space parties and conferences in a virtual journey, one can vicariously experience being in a rocket blasting off into orbit and experience partyers around the world and be open to the multi-cultural impact this virtual tool can access. Who needs to go into space in real life, when you have an alternative life where you can have it all? Standing on planets, flying in between all these international rockets, and taking a ride to the ISS are all things that are definitely attainable at this point or perhaps the next decade. But virtually, all is possible.
Find out more about the ISM here:
http://slispaceflightmuseum.org/drupal/
