Let's say you've saved up 200 grand for…

Let's say you've saved up 200 grand for a trip to space with Virgin Galactic. Lucky you. But are you healthy enough to fly? You'll have to talk with your doctor. A new study in the BMJ 1 the role that general practitioners will have to play in 2 spaceflight. After all, astronauts typically have to be in tip-top shape. But opening the door to the paying public means that less healthy individuals will soon have access to space, too. And the stress of spaceflight, 3 with the negative effects of weightlessness on muscle and bone, could cause real problems. It may be up to your personal physician to make the go/no-go call based on your 4 history. Among the potential hypotheticals floated in the BMJ study: “Can my patient with stable angina and a pacemaker for complete heart block 5 in a suborbital Virgin Galactic flight? What is the maximum allowable time that my patient with osteoporosis can spend on a planned 6 at a space hotel?” There are no official answers, yet. But the study's authors note that such questions may be in the air—or lack thereof—in the not-too-distant future.