Are space holidays a good idea?

Following on from an interview with an astronaut, School Reporters from Marden High School in North Shields, Tyne And Wear, were featured on the BBC's World News for Children bulletin, commenting on space tourism.

Guy Laliberte, from Canada, blasted off to the International Space station as a space tourist. He will be the first clown to go into orbit, but the price he paid for the trip is no laughing matter - it cost him over £20m for the ticket.

School Reporter Victoria, 13, said: "I don't think it's fair that it costs such a lot of money. I think it would be better if more people could go because it's the kind of experience you can share. It would be pretty good if there was a family trip to space."

John said: "I think it's good to have a chance to go to space because you'd be able to see all the planets and you'd can never really compare anything to that."

Jenny, 13, said: "I think it would be really, really exciting and life-changing"

'Not your normal holiday'

Phillipa, 13, said: "It would be different to your normal holidays - better probably because it's in space."

Ryan, 13, said: "We had an astronaut in school and he was saying that the view of earth from space is an amazing thing and it would be wonderful to see that. He said it was so vividly coloured compared to the other planets. But I don't think it's fair that people like him have worked so hard and I can just go because I've got the money saved up."

Some of the students' comments were used in the BBC World News for Children bulletin which is broadcast Monday to Friday on the World Class website and available between 1300 and 1700 GMT on the Newsround website. It can be downloaded for free and accompanying scripts are also available.

In March, students from Marden High School interviewed Major General Charlie Bolden, who has been on four space missions, including the mission that sent the Hubble telescopes into orbit. Read their report on the BBC Tyne website .