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Six ways to buy a ticket to space in 2021

Earlier this month, SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule safely ferried NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Robert Behnken back to Earth following a multi-month trip to the International Space Station (ISS). No privately built spacecraft had ever carried humans into orbit before. But unlike SpaceShipOne, which was a single craft built specifically to win a prize, there are multiple models of the Crew Dragon, each designed to be reused.

It’s finally looking like the exciting era of space tourism is about to erupt. A handful of so-called “new space” companies are now competing to sell space tourists trips on private spacecraft. Each one has a slightly different means of reaching space, and not all of them will get you all the way into orbit. But as long as you’re rich, you should have no problem purchasing your ticket to space.

Virgin Galactic

SpaceShipOne was retired after just three successful spaceflights, but the technology lives on in Virgin Galactic’s Spaceship Unity . Like its predecessor, Virgin Galactic’s rocketplane drops from a specially engineered aircraft before boosting itself to 50 miles (80 kilometers) in altitude. That’s high enough for Virgin Galactic’s pilots to earn their astronaut badges. However, others define space via the so-called Kármán line, the generally accepted boundary between Earth’s atmosphere and space that sits 62 miles (100 kilometers) above our planet’s surface.

Virgin Galactic’s goal is to become “the world’s first commercial spaceline,” and eventually they’ll offer regular flights from Spaceport America in southern New Mexico. The company is planning to begin regular flights in early 2021, with CEO Richard Branson slated as the first non-professional pilot to travel on Spaceship Unity .

SpaceX is the only private rocket company to ever send a human into orbit. They’re also the only company now NASA-certified to send people to circle Earth. So, when will SpaceX start selling tickets to private citizens for trips to space? In the past, Elon Musk has said that the spacecraft could have a bright future carrying private passengers into orbit. And SpaceX recently announced that it has already sold seats on future Crew Dragon flights through other companies that are handling the logistics.

Ultimately though, Musk’s goal is to settle Mars. And to do that, he needs a bigger spacecraft. That’s why SpaceX’s engineers are working feverishly on its Starship, which is still under development. If the enormous spaceship works, it could literally rocket dozens of space tourists at a time between a number of destinations on Earth, or perhaps throughout the inner solar system. The company says that Starship would be able to travel between any two locations on Earth in less than one hour.

SpaceX is confident enough in their vessel that they already sold a Starship flight around the Moon to Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa. No human has traveled to the Moon in nearly 50 years, and Maezawa, a fashion designer and online clothing retailer, has said he’ll take a group of artists with him.

Blue Origin

Jeff Bezos started his rocket company, Blue Origin, back in 2000. And he’s been selling Amazon stock to pump billions of dollars into the effort ever since. Like SpaceX, they’re prioritizing reusable rockets and spacecraft that can drastically reduce the cost associated with spaceflight.

Much of Blue Origin’s effort has gone into developing a pair of rockets: New Shepard and New Glenn.

New Shepard can carry six people inside a suborbital capsule some 60 miles (100 km) into space. Blue Origin has already flown a dozen test flights, and they’re still planning several additional tests before launching passengers. However, in March, Axios reported that Blue Origin could send passengers into space in 2020, though COVID-19 has caused delays across the space industry. If the company can still get its space capsule tested in 2020, it could be on course for paid flights in 2021.

Meanwhile, Blue Origin has announced that it will soon start selling tickets. The company’s website doesn’t list the price of a Blue Origin trip, but Bezos has previously said their space tourists can expect to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to fly in its New Shepard capsule.

The company is also working hard on their New Glenn rocket, a heavy-lift, reusable launch vehicle that Blue Origin has already invested more than $2.5 billion into developing. It’s larger than SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket, but smaller than the rocket planned with Starship. That size could eventually enable regular passenger trips into orbit and even beyond. The company will need that capacity, too. Blue Origin’s goal is to one day have millions of people living and working in space.

Axiom Space’s goal is to create the world’s first commercial space station. In the meantime, they’ve inked a deal to send a crew of private citizens to the ISS aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule in October 2021.

Axiom’s initial crewed mission, dubbed Ax1, should send three paying astronauts to the ISS. Each ticket reportedly costs $55 million. And while it might seem like there’s a small pool of potential ticket buyers at that rate, in the U.S. alone, roughly 75,000 American households have that much money. Axiom also figures it’s just getting started selling tickets to space. In the near future, the company says it will send three crews a year to the ISS.

Back in 2014, NASA selected two companies — SpaceX and Boeing — to receive multibillion-dollar contracts to build spacecraft that could ferry astronauts to the ISS. SpaceX made good on the first crewed flight of its Commercial Crew Program contract earlier this year. Meanwhile, Boeing has yet to get its Starliner spacecraft safely to the ISS and back. Their first test flight reached orbit but failed to make the space station, and a NASA review outlined numerous necessary fixes.

Boeing will attempt another uncrewed test flight next year. And if all goes well, they could fly to the ISS by late 2021.

But once Boeing is flying to and from the ISS, the iconic aerospace company is also technically allowed to fly private passengers to the space station. They’ve been quiet on this option, but NASA has said they’d accommodate passengers at a rate of $35,000 per night.

Boeing has also hired a corporate test pilot astronaut, Christopher Ferguson. He’s been training alongside NASA’s astronauts and will be among the first to fly on Starliner. He might not count as a space tourist, but Ferguson will ultimately be part of an entirely new group of professional astronauts that work for private companies, not national space agencies.

Space Adventures

Space Adventures is an American company that offers private spaceflights to the ISS and, eventually, the moon. Since their founding in 1998, the company has sold a number of other spaceflight related experiences, like simulated zero-gravity airplane flights. And unlike their competitors, Space Adventures has sent space tourists into orbit, too. They’ve been responsible for over half a dozen paid trips to the ISS that made use of Russian spacecraft.

Most recently, they booked a launch to the space station on Russia’s veteran Soyuz spacecraft, which is set for December 2021. The mission, dubbed Soyuz MS-20, will fly with a lone cosmonaut and two Space Adventures tourists.

Space Adventures has arranged another path to get paying customers into space, too. They recently announced a deal with SpaceX that will put four space tourists in a SpaceX capsule and send them into orbit around Earth. How much will it cost? For now, both companies are keeping the cost of these tickets private. But those who do make the trip should get an excellent show. The mission will orbit at several times the height of the ISS.

Unfortunately, few of us have enough disposable income to fund a trip beyond Earth’s atmosphere. But with at least a half dozen ways for the wealthy to purchase a ticket into space next year, the hope is that the cost will continue to decline. And if that happens, you might be closer than you think to regularly having your rocket pass checked by the TSA.

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Virgin Galactic is selling tickets to space again, now for $450,000 per seat

That's nearly twice the previously stated price.

Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson soars like Superman while in weightlessness during his spaceflight on Virgin Galactic's VSS Unity on July 11, 2021.

Virgin Galactic has started selling seats on its suborbital spaceliner again — but the price has gone up.

The company, part of Richard Branson's Virgin Group, halted ticket sales in December 2018, shortly after its VSS Unity vehicle reached suborbital space for the first time on a piloted test flight. Back then, the price was $250,000 per seat.

On Thursday (Aug. 5), Virgin Galactic announced that it's reopening ticket sales, effectively immediately, with a starting price of $450,000 per seat.

In photos: Virgin Galactic's 1st fully crewed spaceflight with Richard Branson

The move comes in the wake of Unity's fourth spaceflight, which occurred July 11 from Spaceport America in New Mexico. That test mission was Unity's first fully crewed trip to the final frontier; the space plane carried Branson and three other people in its cabin, as well as two pilots in the cockpit.

"As we endeavor to bring the wonder of space to a broad global population, we are delighted to open the door to an entirely new industry and consumer experience," Virgin Galactic CEO Michael Colglazier said in a statement Thursday that also announced the company's financial results for the second quarter of 2021.

Virgin Galactic is offering customers three options: purchase a single seat, buy several together or book an entire flight on the eight-passenger Unity (or other space planes that come into operation, such as the recently built VSS Imagine ). The company also sells seats for microgravity research and professional astronaut training. Those are in a different tier, going for $600,000 apiece, Colglazier said during a call with investors on Thursday afternoon.

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VSS Unity lifts off under the wing of a carrier plane called VMS Eve, which hauls the space plane to an altitude of about 50,000 feet (15,000 meters). At that point, the spaceliner drops free, ignites its onboard rocket motor and blasts itself to suborbital space .

Passengers experience three to four minutes of weightlessness and get to see Earth against the blackness of space before coming back down to Earth for a runway landing, about an hour after takeoff.

About 600 people have booked a ride to date, Virgin Galactic representatives said. But they expect that number to rise considerably now, given the intense interest in the July 11 flight.

That mission "was an inflection point for our global brand," Colglazier said during Thursday's call. "We created a cultural moment. We saw incredible global engagement, with viewership coming from over 65 countries. Millions of space enthusiasts around the planet shared a glimpse into the journey the Virgin Galactic future astronauts can expect, and they loved it."

Colglazier also shared some timeline updates during the call. Unity's next flight, a revenue-generating mission that will carry members of the Italian Air Force , is now expected to launch in late September, he said.

After that flight is complete, VMS Eve will fly to the Mojave, California, headquarters of The Spaceship Company, Virgin Galactic's manufacturing subsidiary. There, Eve will receive a series of "enhancements," which include the strengthening of various structural components.

This work is designed to allow Eve to fly 100 times between major inspections as opposed to the current 10 — a huge jump that will boost Virgin Galactic's flight rate significantly down the road, Colglazier said. (The company eventually plans to fly extremely frequently, with fleets of space planes and carrier planes stationed at spaceports around the world.)

Eve is expected back at Spaceport America around the middle of next year. Virgin Galactic will fly one more fully crewed test flight shortly thereafter, then shift to full commercial operations in the third quarter of 2022, if all goes according to plan.

Virgin Galactic has one chief competitor in the suborbital space tourism industry — Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin, which flew its first crewed spaceflight on July 20 . (Bezos himself was on that flight.) Blue Origin has not yet announced how much a seat will coast aboard its New Shepard vehicle, a reusable rocket-capsule combo.

Mike Wall is the author of " Out There " (Grand Central Publishing, 2018; illustrated by Karl Tate), a book about the search for alien life. Follow him on Twitter @michaeldwall. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom or Facebook.

Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: [email protected].

Michael Wall is a Senior Space Writer with Space.com and joined the team in 2010. He primarily covers exoplanets, spaceflight and military space, but has been known to dabble in the space art beat. His book about the search for alien life, "Out There," was published on Nov. 13, 2018. Before becoming a science writer, Michael worked as a herpetologist and wildlife biologist. He has a Ph.D. in evolutionary biology from the University of Sydney, Australia, a bachelor's degree from the University of Arizona, and a graduate certificate in science writing from the University of California, Santa Cruz. To find out what his latest project is, you can follow Michael on Twitter.

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Space Tourism: How Much Does it Cost & Who's Offering It?

Last Updated: December 17, 2022

Many of us dream of going to space and over 600 people have traveled to space as astronauts in government-funded agencies such as NASA, the European Space Agency, and Roscosmos. But how much does spaceflight cost in today and how is that expected to change in the coming years?

With new advancements in spaceflight technology, the costs of space travel are decreasing, making the dream of spaceflight a little closer for us all.

Evolution of Spaceflight Costs and Technologies

During the space race, the cost of sending something into space averaged between $6,000 to over $25,000 per kg of weight not adjusted for inflation and NASA spent $28 billion to land astronauts on the moon, about $288 billion in today’s dollars.

In recent decades, it has averaged around $10,000 per kg though certain missions have been higher due to other factors including the destination, the size of the rocket, the amount of fuel needed, and the cost of fuel.

After the retirement of the space shuttle program, NASA paid Russia to transport astronauts to the ISS at about $80 million per seat on the Soyuz rocket. NASA’s biggest and newest rocket, the SLS (Space Launch System) which is currently being utilized for the new moon missions including Artemis and Orion, currently costs about $2-4 billion per launch.

But recent years and the addition of private space companies have drastically changed the game. NASA allowed private space companies to develop equipment for missions, including a 2006 partnership with SpaceX under the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program to provide resupply for crew and cargo demonstration contracts to the International Space Station (ISS).

This partnership has continued to flourish over the years with SpaceX successfully launching two NASA astronauts in May 2020 on a Crew Dragon Spacecraft, making SpaceX the first private company to send astronauts to the ISS and the first crewed orbital launch from American soil in 9 years.

With the revolutionary technology of reusable boosters from SpaceX, the cost has plummeted, achieving less than $1,600 per kg with the Falcon Heavy (still totaling more than $100 million per launch) and even a projected cost of under a thousand for their next generation model Star Ship.

These recent innovations are even making SLS the more expensive, less efficient option if SpaceX’s projections continue to progress as expected within margins of error. We shall see how NASA plans to adapt goals in light of this.

The Falcon Heavy is a cost-effective option for launching payloads into space.

The rise of private space companies

With private space companies, the opportunity for civilians to book a trip to space similar to booking a flight came closer to reality. Dennis Tito was the first private citizen to pay for a trip to space with a trip to the ISS from April 28th to May 6th, 2001 for $20 million dollars. Tito purchased his experience through Space Adventures Inc. which was founded in 1998 and offers a variety of different space experiences. They even acquired Zero Gravity Corporation, NASA’s provider of Reduced Gravity Training (not in space) for its astronauts, in 2008. They offer similar experiences for private individuals starting at about $8,200 as of this publishing (December 2022).

Space Adventures sent seven other space tourists to the ISS through 2009, but due to a number of factors, Space Adventures had to put their ISS offerings on hold until 2021 when they were able to purchase two Soyuz seats due to NASA moving their contract to SpaceX. Space Adventures sent two people to the ISS via the Roscosmos Soyuz rocket in December 2021 and is working on expanding its offerings.

In addition to Elon Musk’s SpaceX, there are a number of other private space companies getting into the commercial spaceflight/ space tourism market, most notably Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic and Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origins.

Flight Providers & Rates

What are the current rates for commercial spaceflight tickets? What commercial spaceflight trips have already happened? All prices are per person/ per seat.

SpaceX has had the most experience in sending humans to space thanks to its partnership with NASA and Musk has made it clear that he wants to make space travel an option for the public. To date, SpaceX has offered two commercial spaceflight options and has one big one planned for the future:

SpaceX completed a Multi-Day Orbital Voyage, the first of their new plan to offer private astronaut experiences through their NASA partnership.
Estimated $55 million for a 3-day stay inside a modified SpaceX Dragon capsule orbiting the Earth at 357 miles (574 km) with three crewmates, sponsored by billionaire Jared Isaacman to raise money for St Jude’s Children’s Hospital
Partnership between SpaceX and Houston-based Axiom Space Inc.
$55 million for a 10-day trip to ISS at 408 km with a weeklong (8-day) stay in the orbital lab.
Expected to continue in 2023
Axiom plans to build a stand-alone space station to replace the ISS with the first module expected to launch in 2024.
Steve Aoki: American DJ and record producer
Everyday Astronaut Tim Dodd: American science communicator, content creator, photographer, and musician
Yemi A.D.: Czech choreographer, art director and performer
Rhiannon Adam: Irish photographer
Karim Iliya: British photographer and filmmaker
Brendan Hall: American filmmaker and photographer
Dev Joshi: Indian television actor
Choi Seung-hyun (stage name: T.O.P.): South Korean rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and actor
Cost is unknown, likely a minimum of $500 million

2. Blue Origin

Blue Origin: currently offers a 100km 12-minute ride to the Karman Line, the recognized boundary between Earth’s atmosphere and outer space; pricing is still unclear and dependent on a variety of factors

On July 2021, Jeff and Mark Bezos went into space on the New Shepard rocket with Oliver Daemen (who won the trip through an auction bid of around 28 million) and honored guest Wally Funk (a member of Mercury 13, the private program in which women trained to be astronauts but ultimately never went to space)
Blue Origin has completed 6 commercial space flights as of this publishing. Some “honorable guests” have been invited free of charge, such as Funk and actor William Shatner (Captain Kirk from the original Star Trek). Some have been sponsored or have received special deals due to their nonprofit status.
$28 million winning auction bid for the first flight ( $19 million was donated)
$1 million for a board member of a nonprofit
About $1.25 for a Dude Perfect comedy group crew member, hosted by MoonDAO in August 2022

3. Virgin Galactic Subortbital Joy Ride

Virgin Galactic Subortbital Joy Ride: $450,000 for a 90-minute ride to suborbital space 50km above sea level

In July 2021, founder Richard Branson flew to the edge of Earth’s atmosphere with two pilots and three other Virgin Galactic employees as the first test of commercial spaceflight for the company
Each VSS Unity SpaceShipTwo carries up to four passengers
Expected flights are currently anticipated to begin in 2023
Includes training accommodations and amenities; launches from New Mexico

4. Roscosmos/ Space Adventures Customized ISS Trip

Roscosmos/ Space Adventures Customized ISS Trip: $50-60million for a 12-day trip to the ISS at 408 km

In October 2021 an actress and director shot scenes for the first movie filmed in space
December 2021 Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa and Yozo Hirano for two days (same billionaire planning to go to the moon with SpaceX)
With the current situation between Russia and Ukraine, this option is effectively nonexistent currently

5. Space Perspective

Space Perspective: a six-hour balloon ride to space/ the stratosphere on their “Spaceship Neptune” at $125,000

Rides are currently scheduled to begin by the end of 2024.
A pressurized capsule will be slowly lifted by a football-field-sized hydrogen-filled balloon 19 miles (30 km) into the stratosphere, about 3 times the altitude of commercial planes.
The passenger cabin features a bar, bathroom, and windows for sightseeing and is expected to carry 8 passengers and 1 pilot per trip.

6. Aurora Space Station (no longer in development)

Aurora Space Station was supposed to be the world’s first luxury space hotel, offering a 12-day stay for $9.5 million allowing them to free float, observe space and earth, practice hydroponics and play in a hologram deck, but they shut down operations and refunded all deposits in March 2021. They received a lot of media attention and therefore are noted here due to that notoriety.

Conclusion: the current cost of flying to space

Currently, it is only available to those who can spend an average of $250,000 to $500,000 for suborbital trips (about a fifteen-minute ride to the edge of space and back) or flights to actual orbit at more than $50 million per seat (though typically a longer trip than 15 minutes).

It could be free/ discounted if you can find a sponsor, often for nonprofit/ charity purposes, or if you are someone of notoriety that can help spread the company’s mission.

Waitlists are available for most offerings, with a deposit, with many stretching years into the future, which might end up helping you have a spot at a more reasonable price in the future if you can save up.

Many companies are looking to provide extended stay options on private space stations in the future, similar to how you might book a flight somewhere and stay in a hotel for a few days. Again, for the immediate future, this is estimated to cost tens of millions of dollars. The biggest portion of the cost would be launching them, though it is still estimated that a couple million dollars will be needed to cover the expenses of your stay while you are on the space station, whether that is included in the ticket price or added on top of that.

Many companies are hopeful they can eventually price a trip to space down to $100,000 but that will likely take some time, even with the cost-saving measures of reusable boosters. Many forms of recent technology have evolved exponentially in recent years and with dropping price rates as well. Just as plane travel was originally prohibitively expensive, but has now become fairly reasonable for the average consumer, the hope is that the same will eventually happen with space tourism, but we will have to see how long that takes.

While the possibility of going to space is still out of reach for many of us, hopefully, the advancements in recent years and those yet to come will help to continually lower the costs of going to space, just as has occurred in many other fields. This author, for one, truly hopes that the interest of the elite who are currently able to participate in these offerings will spur research and development, not just of space tourism but space exploration in general, to help fuel a quicker journey to space access for all

Written by Sarah Hoffschwelle

Sarah Hoffschwelle is a freelance writer who covers a combination of topics including astronomy, general science and STEM, self-development, art, and societal commentary. In the past, Sarah worked in educational nonprofits providing free-choice learning experiences for audiences ages 2-99. As a lifelong space nerd, she loves sharing the universe with others through her words. She currently writes on Medium at https://medium.com/@sarah-marie and authors self-help and children’s books.

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When Can I Buy a Ticket to Space? A Guide for Non-Billionaires.

We’re at the dawn of a new era for space exploration, with thrill-seeking civilians boldly going where no tourist has gone before. Over 60 years after Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first person in space, a handful of companies are planning to take non-astronauts with sufficiently massive bank accounts on a galactic tour: Tesla Founder Elon Musk’s SpaceX, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin , and Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic.

Here’s everything you need to know about the rise of space tourism, from which billionaires are leaving Earth imminently to when the rest of us might be able to join them.

What’s the history of civilian space travel?

The initial effort to send a civilian into space ended in disaster: In 1986, Christa McAuliffe was set to be the first civilian and teacher in space, but she and six crewmates were tragically killed during the explosion of Space Shuttle Challenger.

After that, NASA largely forbade the practice. But Russia’s then-struggling space program stepped up to the plate. On April 28, 2001, Dennis Tito paid a whopping $20 million for a seat on a Russian Soyuz rocket, becoming the first civilian to visit the International Space Station – humanity’s home away from home. According to Space.com , just seven space tourists have followed in his footsteps in the last 20 years, via Russia’s Space Agency. But the year ahead should be a busy one for the nascent industry, with more and more civilians reaching for the stars.

Who’s heading to space next?

The competition between the major players in the billionaire space race heated up when Bezos announced that he would jet off to the brink of space and back on July 20, the anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. On July 1 – just hours after Bezos announced that in addition to his brother, he’d be joined on the flight by aviation pioneer Wally Funk – Richard Branson revealed that he would beat the Amazon founder into space by nine days. Branson will blast off on Virgin Galactic’s VSS Unity rocketplane on July 11.

Elon Musk’s SpaceX is planning what it’s billing as “the world’s first all-civilian space flight” in late 2021. The multiday flight into low Earth orbit, dubbed “Inspiration4” and funded by billionaire entrepreneur Jared Isaacman, aims to raise awareness for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and begin “a new era for human spaceflight and exploration.” The crew includes Isaacman, childhood cancer survivor Hayley Arceneaux, plus two others. It’s currently scheduled to launch “no earlier than September 15, 2021,” per the mission’s website.

SpaceX aims to keep the momentum going by partnering with Houston-based Axiom Space to send more everyday people into space using its Crew Dragon spacecraft, this time going to the International Space Station. Axiom’s first private ISS mission is set to launch “no earlier than January 2022.” Its second mission is the focus of the Discovery Channel reality-TV show Who Wants to Be an Astronaut? , in which contestants take on extreme challenges for a chance at a ticket to the ISS. Axiom Space plans to eventually host civilian space station jaunts every six months.

What does this cost?

Unsurprisingly, going to space comes with a hefty price tag. Axiom passengers will pay the low, low price of $55 million for the flight and a stay on the ISS. Meanwhile, Virgin Galactic’s suborbital trips — where passengers can experience weightlessness for several minutes before falling back to Earth — are far more reasonable in cost, at $250,000 . Six hundred people have already made reservations for 90-minute flights on Branson’s SpaceShipTwo, Reuters reports. And while Bezos’s Blue Origin hasn’t announced official prices, an auction for a seat to join him and his brother on his brief sojourn to space in July went for a cool $28 million .

How safe is it?

Hollywood isn’t exaggerating: Going to space is inherently dangerous. Congress agreed in 2004 to largely let the space-tourism industry self-regulate, so there are few laws and restrictions on taking civilians into space.

“One way that the government could have gone was to say, ‘Hey, we’re going to certify the spacecraft, make sure that they’re safe and give them the stamp of approval,’” Mark Sundahl, an expert at space law at Cleveland State University, told Discover magazine . “But they didn’t go that way. Instead, they said ‘We’re going to prove we’re protecting space tourists by just requiring the companies to tell them that they may die, and then it’s up to them to make a decision if they want to take that risk or not.’ That’s the approach that the government took, and it is somewhat controversial.”

What other types of space tourism are in the works?

Strapping in on a rocket and blasting off into space isn’t the only type of travel available for those eager to leave this planet. Human space flight company Space Perspective is planning to fly passengers to the edge of space in a high-tech version of a hot-air balloon, “the size of a football stadium,” lifted by hydrogen. Flights are planned for early 2024, with tickets priced firmly at $125,000 per person.

For another out-of-this-world vacation, check out the company Orbital Assembly Corporation , which plans to open a luxury space hotel in 2027. The hotel, named Voyager Station, looks almost like a Ferris wheel floating in orbit and features a restaurant, gym, and Earth-viewing lounges and bars. A three-and-a-half-day stay is expected to cost up to $5 million, the Washington Post reports.

Are other celebrities planning to explore space?

A slew of stars have already bought their tickets to space with Virgin Galactic, among them Justin Bieber, Ashton Kusher, and Leonardo DiCaprio, according to the New York Daily News . Last year, Actor Tom Cruise and NASA announced their own collaboration to make a movie on the International Space Station.

When can the average person do this?

Once again, the biggest barrier to space is the price tag. But air travel was also once prohibitively expensive, with a one-way ticket across the country costing more than half the price of a new car ; one can expect similar price reductions in space travel. For now, partaking in a sweepstakes or reality show might be the best bet for those with tiny bank accounts and big dreams of taking to the stars.

This post was updated after Branson announced he would head to space on July 11.

space tourism
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How much is a seat on Virgin Galactic? $450,000. Here's what each trip includes.

Virgin Galactic will soon sell tickets for space trips to the public. The catch? They cost $450,000.

On Tuesday, the aerospace company announced plans to sell tickets to the general public to snag a seat for a future spaceflight.

Reservations open up Feb. 16 and will cost $450,000. Potential travelers must pay a $150,000 deposit to hold the spot, then pay the rest before their flight. Tickets will be available to 1,000 customers for trips later this year.

The flights will take off from Spaceport America in New Mexico. Virgin Galactic said trips will last about 90 minutes.

"The spaceship gracefully flips while astronauts enjoy several minutes of out-of-seat weightlessness and breath-taking views of Earth from the spaceship’s 17 windows," reads a statement from the company.

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Virgin Galactic is among several companies including SpaceX and Blue Origin – run by tech entrepreneurs Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos respectively – pressing forward with plans to eventually support commercial space travel.

On July 11, Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson was among six crewmembers who traveled aboard the company's space plane, the VSS Unity. Two months later, the Federal Aviation Administration said it was investigating the flight .

Blue Origin launched a manned flight on July 20 with Bezos among the members of the crew. In September, SpaceX launched its first flight with an all-civilian crew.

Follow Brett Molina on Twitter: @brettmolina23 .

You can now book your $450,000 ticket to fly into space with Virgin Galactic

Virgin Galactic's Carrier Aircraft VMS Eve and VSS Unity Take to the Skies

The fledgling spaceline Virgin Galactic announced it is now selling tickets for seats on its rocket ship to members of the general public who can afford a 90-minute jaunt into space.

Ticket are officially on sale to anyone who can afford one as of February 16. The cost is $450,000 per seat, a price tag the company had previously revealed last August just weeks after founder Sir Richard Branson had reached the edge of space in the Unity spacecraft . The spaceline, which is based in New Mexico, says a third of the cost of the ticket, $150,000, must be paid in an initial deposit ($25,000 of which is non-refundable), and the remaining balance due before the flight takes off.

A hefty price, for sure. But think of the points you'll accrue when you slap down your credit card to reserve your seat.

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If the sky-high price tag would keep your feet firmly planet on earth, there is a points and miles option. Anyone with 2 million Virgin Points can enter a prize draw to redeem those points for a trip with Virgin Galactic - its a three day trip including the two-hour space flight and at least five minutes of weightlessness.

You'll only need to redeem the points if you win the prize draw.

According to CNBC , Virgin Galactic has had about 600 reservations on the books from ticket sales going back several years, when a trip to suborbital space was being sold for about $200,000 to $250,000 per seat. The company actually sold about 100 tickets at the increased $450K price last summer. During Virgin Galactic's most recent earnings call in November, CEO Michael Colglazier said the company had been testing its sales process had sold about 100 seats at the new $450k price point. Its goal is to book 1,000 sales before commercial flights actually begin, which right now appears to be in October.

This marks an encouraging turnaround for the company, which saw its stock price jump by more than 30% on the news of ticket sales reopening. The Wall Street Journal says Virgin Galactic stock has lost 80% of its value in the past year after delays caused the optimism and public-relations buzz from Branson's flight to space on the air-powered Unity rocket to fade. Branson had won the "Billionaire Space Race" by beating Amazon boss Jeff Bezos to the launchpad and getting to space first. Companies like Virgin Galactic and Bezos' Blue Origin have both been trying to develop a viable business model around space tourism.

But there were also safety concerns after a story in the New Yorker revealed that the Federal Aviation Administration was investigating a red warning light that had gone off in the cockpit during Branson's flight. The FAA grounded all flights as it probed the incident, but eventually gave Virgin Galactic approval to resume operations.

Featured Image courtesy of VirginGalactic.com.

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Planet Earth

Six Ways to Buy A Ticket to Space in 2021

Space tourism could finally become a reality next year. these space companies are either already selling seats to private customers, or soon will be..

In 2004, Burt Rutan’s privately built SpaceShipOne flew just beyond the edge of space before landing safely back on Earth. That historic feat was enough to win the $10 million Ansari X Prize , as well as help convince the public that an era of space tourism was finally within humanity’s grasp. Now, more than 15 years later, aspiring space tourists are on the verge of having their dreams realized.

Earlier this month, SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule safely ferried NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Robert Behnken back to Earth following a multi-month trip to the International Space Station (ISS). No privately built spacecraft had ever carried humans into orbit before. But unlike SpaceShipOne, which was a single craft built specifically to win a prize, there are multiple models of the Crew Dragon, each designed to be reused.

It's finally looking like the exciting era of space tourism is about to erupt. A handful of so-called “new space” companies are now competing to sell space tourists trips on private spacecraft. Each one has a slightly different means of reaching space, and not all of them will get you all the way into orbit. But as long as you’re rich, you should have no problem purchasing your ticket to space.

Virgin Galactic

SpaceShipOne was retired after just three successful spaceflights, but the technology lives on in Virgin Galactic’s Spaceship Unity . Like its predecessor, Virgin Galactic’s rocketplane drops from a specially engineered aircraft before boosting itself to 50 miles (80 kilometers) in altitude. That’s high enough for Virgin Galactic’s pilots to earn their astronaut badges. However, others define space via the so-called Kármán line, the generally accepted boundary between Earth's atmosphere and space that sits 62 miles (100 kilometers) above our planet’s surface.

How much does a ticket to space cost through Virgin Galactic? Originally, the company charged $250,000 to early buyers. And more than 600 people have already signed up at that price to be “Future Astronauts.” But now Virgin Galactic expects to raise its rates, though they have yet to release a final price. With a $1,000 deposit, you can sign up to get on the waiting list .

SpaceX is confident enough in their vessel that they already sold a Starship flight around the moon to Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa. No human has traveled to the moon in nearly 50 years, and Maezawa, a fashion designer and online clothing retailer, has said he’ll take a group of artists with him.

Blue Origin

Much of Blue Origin’s effort has gone into developing a pair of rockets: New Shepard and New Glenn.

With all those visitors coming to stay, the space station is going to get a bit more crowded. That’s part of the reason why NASA is helping fund a fixed-price , $140 million viewing port from Axiom that will look something like the current Cupola . Axiom also won NASA’s approval to add several commercial modules to the ISS as part of their Axiom Orbital Segment. Ultimately, this commercial segment could be spun out into its own privately-run space station and serve as a hub for space travel even after the ISS is retired.

Boeing will attempt another uncrewed test flight next year. And if all goes well, they could fly to the ISS by late 2021.

Space Adventures

Unfortunately, few of us have enough disposable income to fund a trip beyond Earth's atmosphere. But with at least a half dozen ways for the wealthy to purchase a ticket into space next year, the hope is that the cost will continue to decline. And if that happens, you might be closer than you think to regularly having your rocket pass checked by the TSA.

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Sent Into Space
Apr 27, 2023

How to Go to Space | A Guide to Space Tourism

Always wanted to go to space? You're in luck. Space travel is quickly becoming more accessible than ever, with Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin among those offering civilians the chance to buy a ticket to space.

Whether on a commercial space flight, as a trained astronaut, or after your passing, there are a variety of ways that you can go to space. We're exploring some of the ways you can experience space travel - with one of them costing less than the average UK holidaymaker’s budget!

1. Be a Billionaire

In the domain of space travel, it certainly helps if you're a billionaire - or at least a multi-millionaire. According to an article from Forbes, ticket prices can be over $55 million, depending on the nature of the flight. But let's say you have the money, and you really want to go - here are some of your options:

Space Tourism

Space tourism refers to private recreational space flights . While the phrase 'space tourism' may have you picturing yourself lounging by a pool with an astronaut's helmet on, this isn't quite right (at least for the time being). There are actually three types of space tourism: orbital, suborbital, and lunar.

Girl in astronaut costume leaning on cussions looking out of the window of a spacecraft

Lunar tourism, as you may have guessed, refers to private space trips which orbit or land on the moon. You'll have to wait to do this, though - there are no tickets available to the public as of yet. If you're not fussed about the moon, there is one form of space tourism you can already sign up for - suborbital space tourism.

Suborbital Space Tourism

Ready to sign up? Sounds great! If you have a spare $450,000, that is. Virgin Galactic began offering reservations for future flights in February of last year for just under half a million dollars. It's important to understand what 'suborbital flight' means, though - these trips may cross the boundary of space, but they don't travel fast enough to stay there. Virgin Galactic's first crewed flight only experienced 4 minutes of weightlessness, and it was actually debated whether or not this flight reached space.

If you're looking for a slightly more budget-friendly option, look no further. World View is currently accepting deposits for their 6-8 hour space flights, taking off from destinations all over the globe. Tickets are currently priced at $50,000 each, with a $500 deposit. This is much more affordable than a Virgin Galactic flight, and World View aims to start launching in 2024.

As World View flights are suborbital, their crafts only enter the first region of space, known as Near Space. Their craft are still considered a spacecraft by the Federal Aviation Administration due to the high altitudes they reach. And hey - although you won’t experience the zero-gravity effect often associated with space travel, you will witness similar views to those who have travelled to the International Space Station and other manned orbital vessels. Expect to see the Earth's curvature with the blackness of space around you - and for an affordable $50,000, this is certainly an option you should consider if you want to schedule in a trip soon.

A suborbital journey might differ from your imagined image of a space flight. While these trips do cross the boundary of space, they don't travel at fast enough speeds to stay there. If you have a longer trip in mind, orbital space travel may be the way to go.

Orbital Space Tourism

While tickets or reservations aren't widely available yet, public access to orbital space trips is getting closer every day. Keep an eye on SpaceX, Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin for all your orbital space travel needs. While travelling on an orbital space flight will inevitably come with a hefty price tag, the trips could last days - so if you have the money, you could soon be considering space for your next holiday destination.

Buy a ticket to stay on the International Space Station

If you're looking to one-up the standard space tourist, look no further. A ticket aboard the Axiom Mission 1, which included a stay at the ISS, reportedly cost $55 million. This is another option for those looking for an out-of-this-world experience - if you have a few million to spare.

2. Experience Space on the Vomit Comet

For those of you willing to compromise on an actual space experience, zero gravity could be an option that suits you and your pocket. While its nickname may not sound appealing, the vomit comet is merely a reduced-gravity aircraft used in NASA training programmes. These crafts do not actually go to space, but instead simulate the weightlessness of a space flight's zero gravity environment, so you can experience the sensation of real space travel for a fraction of the price of a Virgin Galactic flight.

People aboard the vomit comet in navy jumpsuits with elated expressions performing superman poses floating in a zero gravity environment

The best part is that these aren't just for astronauts in training, and you can have a go for as little as £4000. These are much more affordable options compared to actual space flights, if not actually going to space isn't a deal breaker for you. But before you go, be warned - NASA's reduced-gravity aircraft was nicknamed the vomit comet for a reason, so it's maybe best avoided if you get travel sick.

3. Scatter your ashes in space

You could consider a slightly different approach - travelling to space after you have passed away. How ? Have your ashes scattered in space.

Aura Flights scatter vessel scattering ashes in space with planet Earth in the background

UK company Aura Flights specialises in scattering ashes in space, taking you or your loved ones on a breathtaking final journey. While this option may not necessarily let you experience space in the way you have in mind, it is certainly an exciting way to have your ashes scattered, and unlike most of the previous options, it would allow you to not only see space but actually be in space. Your ashes would travel around the globe for three to six months before arriving back on Earth as snowflakes -so your loved ones can rest assured that you'll be with them wherever they go.

So, yes, this option doesn't involve going to space in the way you might be imagining, but it is a beautiful and unique way to be remembered after you're gone - and, unlike every option we've covered so far, it's more affordable than you'd think, as it's cheaper than the average traditional funeral service. If you're interested in a memorial flight for yourself or for a loved one you can find out more on the Aura Flights website .

4. Start your own space agency

If you're really sold on going to space but don't want to pay the likes of Richard Branson and Elon Musk to take you there, you could start your own space agency and take yourself into space instead of paying someone else to do it for you. Of course, this involves some knowledge of how you get yourself to space in the first place.

Man soldering components onto a PCB in a worshop

If you’re serious about starting a space agency it’s going to require careful planning, a dedicated team, and significant investment. You’ll need to identify and acquire experts in various fields and secure funding to invest in infrastructure such as spacecraft, launch vehicles, and ground support systems. Building partnerships with other space agencies, research institutions, and private companies is also essential.

Regulatory compliance and adherence to international treaties and agreements are crucial in the space industry, so you must ensure that your team is knowledgeable in these areas and that your plan includes measures for regulatory compliance. If you have the resources to follow these steps - and a bit of luck - you should be on track to running a space agency capable of sending yourself and others into the great unknown.

At Sent Into Space, we've completed more than a thousand space launches - but we don’t take people to space (yet!). Instead, we specialise in unmanned spaceflight for both creative and scientific purposes . We provide a variety of space launch services from advertising and marketing services to environmental validation and satellite component testing.

4. Join the Space Force

Members of the United States Space Force in military uniform holding a Space Force flag

The United States Space Force (USSF) is the space branch of the US Armed Forces. If you happen to be a US citizen looking to join the military and have a specific interest in space, the USSF might be a good fit for you. However, if it's going to space you're after, this may not be the easiest option - the force isn't planning on sending troops to space any time soon, and any member of the Space Force who wants to go to space has to do so by winning a spot in NASA's astronaut corps - which leads us to our next point.

5. Go to space as a trained astronaut

Astronaut in a spacesuit floating in open space above earth

So you're not a multi-millionaire, billionaire, or engineer; a reduced-gravity aircraft isn't exciting enough for you; and even if you can join the US Space Force, you won’t be going to space anytime soon. But you still want to go - so how? At this point, you should probably just train to be an astronaut. Unfortunately, it isn't necessarily as simple as it sounds. According to the National Careers Service, anyone aged 27-37 can apply for astronaut training with either the European Astronaut Corps or NASA, depending on your citizenship - but there are several steps you need to take to qualify:

While not an essential part of the application criteria, it helps your chances if you're a trained pilot. Ideally, you'll be one with experience flying a high-performance aircraft - 1,000 hours of experience, to be specific. That amounts to over 41 days of flying, which is almost 6 weeks. You'd better get going!

Get a degree, or two

To apply, you need to have an undergraduate and master's degree in a relevant subject, such as engineering, physics, mathematics, or medicine. Yes, this takes time (and money), but it will at least prepare you for the terrestrial activities you'll spend most of your time doing as an astronaut - such as writing reports, training, and attending meetings.

A NASA astronaut's advice

NASA astronaut Anne McClain wrote an article for NASA about her experience and advice in getting selected to become an astronaut. She states that those most apt for the job are adaptable, trustworthy, tenacious, and detail-oriented - qualities which most job applications would ask for. This sounds easy enough, but make sure you're aware of the reality of the job: Claire says that most astronauts only go to space once every 5-7 years! But when you do go, it may be for a while - Claire was stationed on the ISS for over six months. The job certainly requires a level of commitment, so maybe talk this one through with your partner, children or parents if you're interested.

Now, I know you've been waiting for it, so here's the catch, straight from the horse's mouth: the reality is that even if you meet all the criteria, it's hard to get picked to be an astronaut . In 2013, just eight of more than six-thousand applicants were chosen; in 2017, a class of eleven graduated - of over eighteen-thousand applicants. In light of this, here's Claire's most important piece of advice: 'Don’t do things so you can put them on a resume, do things because you have a passion for them ... If you do all these things just to be selected then are not selected, it can be very disappointing. But if you do what you love, you will not only perform better, but you will be happier too.'

Basically, you can't really just decide to be an astronaut. It takes a lot of time and effort to even be eligible to apply, and then if you're lucky enough to be one of the few chosen applicants, you have to complete the two-year training programme before you can even think about actually going to space. But if you really want to go to space, and can't afford a ticket, it's probably your best option - plus, you'd actually get paid for this one!

With that, we've reached the end of our list. Now you hopefully have a better idea of how you can go to space, and maybe you even know which of these options you'll try first!

In all seriousness, going to space is an incredible feat which, until fairly recently, seemed impossible other than in science fiction. The fact that commercial space flights are even a possibility, even if only for the super-rich, is (as they say) a giant leap for mankind. Even though it may cost a lot of money now, hopefully, the day when space travel is a little more affordable isn't too far off. Until then, we'll keep focusing on unmanned space flights at Sent Into Space - if you're interested in a space launch for marketing or scientific purposes, don't hesitate to get in touch .

How Much Does it Cost to Travel to Space?

Fast facts:

As of right now (2021), the cost of booking a trip to space in the near future is approximately $250,000 .
The immediate cost of a trip to space (via something like SpaceX) in the next 2-3 years is in the tens of millions per passenger .
In the medium-future, the cost of individual tickets into space will drastically fall in price.
Based on estimations, it is likely that the cost of space tourism tickets will be around $10,000 – $25,000 within the next twenty years .

How much will it cost for a private citizen to travel to space?

Since the Champion Traveler research team is heavily focused on private travel (as opposed to how much it costs astronauts to fly to space), all data used in this article will be based on the idea of privatized space tourism. This industry is expected to hit a major milestone in the 2020s, and it is likely that space tourism will become not only more common but more affordable within the next twenty to fifty years.

As of right now, based on early estimations from several major private space exploration companies (SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Virgin Galactic), the first privatized space travel will cost adventurous travelers somewhere around $250,000 for a short trip into Earth’s orbit. This quarter of a million dollar price tag for private space tourism will likely include somewhere between a few hours and a few days orbiting the Earth.

This type of space travel will remain expensive for several years, but as all things improve and become more efficient within the process, the cost will very likely start to decrease within a matter of years. There is likely a heavier price tag on the first couple of trips simply because of the historic nature of them. As market demand balances out and more space tourism is available, it seems likely the cost of a ticket for a short adventure into space will be somewhere around $10,000 to $25,000 depending on the length of the trip and the number of passengers included on each flight.

When will space travel become more affordable?

As of right now (2021), space travel is more likely a pipe dream for many than a realistic vacation. A quarter of a million dollars for one trip into outer space is likely not something many people will be able to afford in the short term. But as costs drop and space tourism becomes more efficient (and likely sees more competition), ticket prices for space travel will fall back down to Earth.

As for how long this will take, within 20 years (by about the year 2040), space travel should see a gradual decrease in price to somewhere in the $10,000 – $25,000 range (in 2021 dollars) where it will likely flat line for a while based on current cost estimations of scale, fuel costs, production costs, and regulation.

It is possible that we will see privatized space tourism drop down to somewhere in the $5,000 – $10,000 range as well if more competition enters the market if demand stays high.

Will space travel ever be cheaper than air travel?

The problem with comparing space travel to the current price of air travel is that the current market for air travel remains in high demand for both tourism and business purposes.

In the medium term, the only purpose that space travel as tourism will serve is for quick trips into space and back. There won’t be necessarily, at least in the foreseeable future, a spike in travel demand for business purposes and thus the overall market demand for space tourism will remain relatively small.

Because of this, it is very unlikely that we will ever see space tourism anywhere near comparable flights for something like a transatlantic flight to Europe from the United states for $500-700.

When will space travel be available to more people?

Based on current development of spaceships capable of carrying a larger number of private citizens, we expect that by the 2030s it will be possible to book a ticket via one of the current major space exploration brands (SpaceX, Blue Origin), and that we also will likely see between two and five new companies enter the market in that time.

With a growing number of companies producing spacecraft capable of allowing for space tourism, there will likely be hundreds of available seats in a given year within the next decade, and thousands of available seats a year after that.

Is space tourism safe?

This is something nobody has enough of a firm grasp on to say definitively one way or the other just yet, but it seems fair to assume given how long it has taken to commercialized space travel, that the early flights will take every precaution possible.

It’s fully reasonable to expect that over the course of space tourism expansion there will be accidents and likely death, but at the same time, the same can still be said about traditional air travel. While statistically considered extremely safe, there will always be a minimal amount of risk associated with any type of travel.

What companies offer private space travel?

There are many now-defunct companies who have tried to establish footing in space tourism, but as of now there seem to be three main companies we will be watching closely when it comes to offering one of the grandest possible adventures for private citizens:

SpaceX – Led by Elon Musk, this company seems the most likely to begin ramping up space tourism within the next two decades. They have a planned launch for their first space tourists in the coming two years.
Virgin Galactic – Led by Richard Branson, this company has been around the longest (of the surviving companies), but has yet to launch their first commercial space tourists into space.
Blue Origin – Led by Jeff Bezos, Blue Origin has focused mostly on commercial space travel, but has also discussed expanding their efforts into personal space travel in the near future.

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Space Travel + Astronomy

13 Things Tourists Should Know Before Traveling to Space, According to Astronauts

We asked the pros for their best tips on handling a first trip to space.

For most of human spaceflight history, those lucky enough to reach the stars were professional astronauts hired and trained by government agencies around the world. But since the early 2000s, when seven intrepid travelers paid millions to spend a few days aboard the International Space Station (ISS), space tourism has begun to take off. We're now on the cusp of a new era of space exploration, with commercial companies like Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin launching spacecraft capable of taking paying travelers beyond the Earth's surface.

We spoke with former NASA astronauts Leroy Chiao and Scott Parazynski to get their tips for first-time spaceflight participants. During his 15 years with NASA, Chiao participated in four missions — three aboard the space shuttle and one to the ISS, in which he served as commander. Parazynski worked at NASA for 17 years, flying five shuttle missions throughout his career. Read on to discover what they think aspiring space tourists need to know.

Your only job on the flight will be to kick back, relax, and enjoy the ride.

If you're taking a suborbital flight, which is what companies like Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin have offered, your ride will be a quick up-and-down to reach space, rather than a full orbit of the Earth. The short journey is relatively easy compared to what professional astronauts experience. For starters, you won't need to worry about flying your spacecraft. That's all up to the spaceflight provider. "You won't have any responsibility other than to enjoy the experience — and not kick anyone else in the head," says Parazynski. "Their obligations on the flight are pretty straightforward."

As such, the training programs for suborbital space tourist experiences are relatively minimal, perhaps only a few days in length at most. "The downside of not having a lot of training is that you don't have the confidence that comes from lots of training," says Parazynski. "Contrast that with the training I had on the space shuttle, where we trained for hundreds and hundreds of hours for launching in space. If something were to go awry, we would know exactly what to do and our hearts wouldn't skip a beat."

So, other than learning to place your complete trust in your spaceflight provider, Parazynski recommends talking to people who have flown before in order to ease any nervousness. Chiao agrees: "The best advice I can give on launch — and it's easy to say, harder to do — is to try to relax and enjoy the whole process," he says. "Pay attention during your training, talk to other people who've been there if you can. And actually, you might be surprised — it's quite calm!"

Make sure you’re physically and mentally fit.

"I think people should treat this as their Olympics or Super Bowl. This is a really big life experience, and though you don't need to be an Olympic athlete or a Super Bowl champion to fly in space, it helps to be fit," says Parazynski. After all, your body will be experiencing quite a range of new sensations during your spaceflight."

But it's not just about physical fitness — mental fitness is key, too. "I think through fitness comes mental acuity as well," says Parazynski. "The more you can be engaged in the experience, the more you'll remember of it — it'll be more impactful to you."

The G-forces experienced on launch and reentry are not as intense as you might expect.

If you've ever watched a livestream of an astronaut launch, caught any Hollywood flick about space travel, or ridden Mission: Space at Walt Disney World's Epcot theme park, you know that during launch, astronauts get crushed back into their seats. (And, actually, during reentry, too!) They're experiencing strong G-forces, or a sensation of weight felt during acceleration. It's the same feeling you get when you speed up quickly in a car or zoom through a loop or a sharp curve on a roller coaster, but during a rocket launch, those forces are stronger and more sustained. While the experience might seem a little terrifying, the pros say it's quite manageable.

"The G-forces aren't nearly as bad as they show in the movies," says Chiao. "If you're good enough to be given medical approval to go on a trip like this, you're not going to have any problems handling the G-forces." He also notes that you'll likely go through centrifugal runs during your training to prep for the sensation — you'll be strapped into a spinning machine that lets you experience strong G-forces, just like that spinning amusement park ride where you're pressed against the wall and the floor drops.

But to make launch and reentry as comfortable on your body as possible, you'll want to physically relax your muscles so you don't fight against the G-forces. "If you relax and let your body sink into the launch couch, you're going to tolerate it much better," says Chiao. "If you're rigid, that's where you might hurt yourself. And make sure your limbs and arms are inside of the couch."

To prep for weightlessness, you should book a zero-gravity flight.

While it takes quite a bit of effort (and time and money) to get into space to experience weightlessness, you can actually experience the sensation right here on Earth — or rather, just slightly above it. All you need to do is book a zero-gravity flight , where a plane flies in a series of parabolas (or arch-like shapes) during which passengers experience simulated weightlessness through free fall.

It's physically the same as skydiving or even riding a roller coaster, but in those two instances, your senses tell you you're actually falling. "When you're in a zero-G airplane, the airplane is falling at the same rate you are, so you're floating inside the airplane," says Chiao. "That's what it's like in a spacecraft when you get up into space and the engines cut off."

Through commercial companies like the Zero Gravity Corporation , anyone who can spare the cost of a ticket can experience weightlessness — and anyone who's planning on making a trip to space should definitely give it a go. "If they have the means, they should get on a zero-G flight before they go on a suborbital flight," says Parazynski. "It would take some of the mystery out of 'what am I going to feel like?' and 'how do I move?'"

Learning how to scuba dive is good weightlessness training, too.

While being underwater isn't exactly like floating in space, it's a pretty good way to practice moving around in a weightless environment. In fact, NASA even has a life-sized replica of the ISS set inside a giant pool, so astronauts can train for spacewalks underwater.

"Moving in weightlessness comes to you very quickly when you spend some time underwater," says Parazynski. "Get neutrally buoyant underwater and very gently try and move yourself along the ocean floor or bottom of your pool. It doesn't take a lot of force, but it does take a lot of thought."

Come up with a game plan for your few minutes in space.

On suborbital flights, you're only going to have a few minutes in weightlessness, so you should plan exactly how you want to spend your time up there. Figure out if you'd like to bring a memento like a family photo or college pennant for a fun picture. (U.S. Naval Academy graduates and former astronauts Wally Schirra and Tom Stafford famously put a "Beat Army" sign in the window of their Gemini VI spacecraft, so there's a long tradition of this.) Decide in advance if you want to attempt what spaceflight veterans call "stupid astronaut tricks," like flips or spins. But most importantly, budget time to look out the window.

"The most important thing I would tell future astronauts is to savor the view out the window," says Parazynski. "It's, for lack of a better term, a God's-eye view, and so few people have ever had a chance to see it. It's really a beautiful thing to be hovering in space and looking down at your planet."

Don’t worry about taking your own photos.

"As far as taking photographs, I don't know that I would recommend it," says Chiao. "You're not going to be very good at it, first of all, because it takes a little bit of practice to get used to zero-G. Don't waste that time taking photos. Get your memories, look out those windows, and enjoy the whole experience of being weightless." Plus, given the price tag of these spaceflights, we're pretty sure that your operator will provide you with photos and videos of your journey anyway.

When you get into zero gravity, you might feel a little dizzy.

The body functions a bit differently when you remove gravity from the equation for a sustained period of time, and side effects may include dizziness and nausea. "You're going to feel full-headed because there's no longer gravity pulling fluid down into your legs," says Chiao. "And so all that fluid comes up into your torso, and you can feel it right away. It feels kind of like you're standing on your head."

But the good news is, on suborbital flights you might be able to avoid the worst of it. "The adrenaline and excitement are going to make you do OK at first, and by the time you might start feeling bad, it's time to strap back in and come back down," says Chiao.

If you’re spending a few days in space, be prepared for some bumps and bruises.

On a suborbital flight, you won't have a ton of time in space, so you won't really have to worry about acclimating to zero gravity. However, some private spaceflight companies are looking to send their clients up into orbit for longer stays and there are even talks of a space hotel within Voyager Station . If you're going to spend a few days or even a few weeks up in space, you're probably going to bump your head more than once, no matter how much you've trained for the experience.

"It's really funny watching rookie astronauts the first day or two up on a mission," says Parazynski. "We called them the bull in a china shop. They push off with full force and they crack their skull or bang their knee."

You’re also going to make a mess.

Doing routine tasks like brushing your teeth (you can't just spit your toothpaste into a sink), clipping your fingernails (you don't want them floating off into your space station), and going to the bathroom (have you ever thought about how to use a toilet without gravity?) are all very different experiences in weightlessness. Inevitably, you might have a few mishaps early on in your trip.

"Just sitting down for a meal, you put your fork down, and it's gone in 30 seconds," says Parazynski. "You may find it two days later in the cabin air cleaner because that's where the air currents have taken it." Luckily, a lost fork is an easy mess to clean up — and the situation can be prevented by tethering it down. Other messes are a different story.

"As far as using the restroom, that's what you need to pay attention to during your training. The toilet is not particularly simple and you have to be careful," says Chiao. (In case you were wondering, space toilets use airflow to guide things where they're supposed to go.) "But be prepared to make some messes," says Chiao. "And everybody has to clean up their own mess."

If you’re going to do a spacewalk, the stakes are much higher for you and your crew.

If you want to zip around space with a jetpack like George Clooney in "Gravity," sorry, but chances are that's not going to happen any time soon. Most private astronauts will be safely tucked inside their craft for the duration of their flight.

Unlike suborbital flights, future orbital flights with a spacewalk will require extensive training, given that spacewalks are inherently more dangerous than simply riding in a vessel. "If you're careless with your tethers and you float off into the void, there's not a whole lot anyone can come do for you," says Parazynski. It's possible that a crewmate may be able to head out to rescue you, but then you're endangering their life as well. "It's paramount for a spacewalker to think not just about their own health and well-being and their experience, but also that of their crewmates," he says.

If you’re in a capsule, be prepared for a bumpy landing.

While the only way up to space is by rocket, there are two ways to come back down: via a winged vehicle, like the space shuttle or Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo, or a capsule, like Apollo, Soyuz, and Blue Origin's New Shepard. The experiences are quite different, as winged vehicles land like an airplane on a runway, whereas capsules descend beneath parachutes onto land or water. While both experience a range of G-forces during reentry, capsules have a bit of a rougher ride, particularly at the very end.

"When the parachute comes out, you can expect to get jostled around a fair amount, so that can be disorienting," says Chiao. "Then, whether you're hitting the water or the ground, you're gonna get a good bump. There are shock-absorbing mechanisms, of course, that make it not too big a deal. But on Soyuz, you smack the ground pretty darn hard. It was kind of surprising!"

It’ll be worth every penny.

Sure, it's going to cost a small fortune to go into space as a tourist — for now, that's somewhere in the ballpark of several hundred thousand dollars for a suborbital flight and millions of dollars for longer-duration orbital stays. But ask any astronaut, and they're sure to tell you it'll be worth the investment.

"What I would tell prospective astronauts is that it's going to change their lives forever," says Parazynski. "It's a perspective that can't be captured in emotion on film. Even in 3D IMAX, there's no way to capture the way it's going to make you feel, the connectedness you feel to planet Earth, and the awe you have when you look out into the universe."

This space tourism company wants to take people to the stratosphere with a helium balloon for $150,000. See inside its capsule designed by a former Ferrari designer.

Halo Space is a space-tourism company that uses helium balloons instead of rockets or jets.
CEO Carlos Mira plans to launch commercial flights in 2026, and take 10,000 people to the stratosphere by 2030.
The company unveiled the interior of its capsule, designed by ex-Ferrari designer Frank Stephenson.

Halo Space was founded in 2021 with the goal of improving access to space tourism .

It would still be out of reach for most people, at around $150,000 a ticket, but by using helium balloons instead of jets or rockets, it's cheaper and more sustainable than the likes of Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic .

CEO Carlos Mira believes his company can take 10,000 people to the stratosphere within the next six years. He said Halo will start commercial flights in 2026.

Last Wednesday, the firm unveiled the interior of its capsule — designed by Frank Stephenson , a renowned industrial designer formerly of Ferrari and Maserati,.

Business Insider attended a London event hosted by the company to learn more about Halo Space and how it hopes to achieve its grand ambitions.

In the world of space tourism, the first companies that come to mind are the likes of SpaceX, Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin, and Virgin Galactic — which can cost millions of dollars for a ticket.

Halo Space is trying a different, cheaper route. It plans to use a capsule lifted by a helium balloon into the stratosphere.

The Spanish company says its capsules will cruise at 18 to 22 miles above the Earth — around the same height as Felix Baumgartner's record-breaking skydive back in 2012.

The best moments from Felix Baumgartner's supersonic jump

The trip would last for four to six hours in total. That's longer than a Blue Origin or Virgin Galactic flight, but less than SpaceX's.

But by using a balloon instead of jet engines, the price could be around $150,000 — compared to Virgin Galactic's $450,000; Blue Origin's $28 million; or Space X's $55 million. It's also more sustainable.

Only about 650 people have ever been to space. The firm's CEO, Carlos Mira, claimed `Halo can up that figure to 10,000 by 2030 — aiming for at least two flights a week.

It plans to launch the capsule from sites in the US, Australia, Spain, and Saudi Arabia. The firm will set up temporary venues for customers that reflect the country, described as "more than glamping."

At a press conference last Wednesday, Halo unveiled the interior of its space capsule, designed by Frank Stephenson — formerly of Ferrari and BMW.

Stephenson made his name designing the Fiat 500 and the BMW X5, among other cars, but has been more involved with aerospace firms in recent years. He previously spoke to Business Insider about his work designing electric-vertical-take-off-and-landing aircraft, or eVTOLs — commonly known as flying taxis . Like Halo, they're focused on sustainability.

Stephenson spoke about how his design firm constructed its own 1:1 scale model of the capsule in order to figure out the best possible layout. "Computers don't design, humans design. That's really the only way to capture the human touch," he said.

He and his team tried a few different arrangements to figure out how to best position the nine seats, which includes one for a pilot.

They settled on this design, with all the seats facing outwards during the main cruise to maximize the views. But during takeoff and landing, half face backward and half forward.

Stephenson shared the sketches of the seat design, showing how much thought went into details like the armrest and adjustable headrest.

The capsule also features fold-down dining trays to maximize space. The area at the bottom stores meals, hot or cold, and Halo says it would serve whatever the customer requests.

Stephenson said it was also important to maximize space for the bathroom: "Nobody likes a tight space. Even if you fly upper class in most commercial airliners, it's quite tight and uncomfortable."

The mannequin in the image represents the 95th percentile for male height.

One of the most intriguing features is its plans for augmented reality, like showing differing constellations in the sky or where on Earth the capsule is flying over.

Overall, the capsule is over 16 feet wide and 11 feet tall.

Halo has conducted five test flights since 2022 and hopes to launch commercial flights as soon as 2026.

But its grand ambitions won't be easy to achieve. Halo thinks it will first be certified by the Federal Aviation Administration before getting approval in other countries.

Some at the press conference questioned whether Halo could face a similar fate as OceanGate, which owned the submersible that imploded last year. "Is this another way for rich people to kill themselves?" asked Aerospace Magazine's editor in chief.

What is OceanGate? Meet the company that made a business out of risky deep-sea tours of the Titanic shipwreck.

"Safety, for us, is the priority," Mira replied. "We are using mature technologies. Balloons have been around for more than 200 years." He also noted that Halo has partnered with engineering firms like Aciturri.

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MATTIODA V. NELSON, No. 22-15889 (9th Cir. 2024)

A scientist with physical disabilities, Dr. Andrew Mattioda, sued his employer, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. He alleged that he suffered a hostile work environment after informing his supervisors of his disabilities and requesting upgraded airline tickets for work travel. He also claimed he was discriminated against due to his disability by being passed over for a promotion. The United States District Court for the Northern District of California dismissed Dr. Mattioda’s hostile-work-environment claim and granted summary judgment in favor of NASA on his disability-discrimination claim. The court concluded that Dr. Mattioda failed to allege a plausible causal nexus between the claimed harassment and his disabilities. It also held that NASA provided a legitimate nondiscriminatory reason for not selecting Dr. Mattioda for an available senior scientist position. On appeal, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit reversed the district court’s dismissal of Dr. Mattioda’s hostile-work-environment claim, affirming that a disability-based harassment claim is available under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the Rehabilitation Act. The court held that Dr. Mattioda plausibly alleged a hostile-work-environment claim based on his disability. However, the court affirmed the district court’s order granting summary judgment for NASA on the disability-discrimination claim, agreeing that NASA had provided a legitimate nondiscriminatory reason for not selecting Dr. Mattioda for the senior scientist position. The case was remanded for further proceedings.

Court Description: Employment Law The panel reversed the district court’s dismissal of Dr. Andrew Mattioda’s hostile-work-environment claim, affirmed the district court’s summary judgment in favor of his employer the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (“NASA”) on his disability-discrimination claim, and remanded for further proceedings. Dr. Mattioda, a scientist with NASA, has physical disabilities related to his hips and spine that he alleged required him to purchase premium-class airlines tickets for flights over an hour long. He sued NASA under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, alleging that he suffered a hostile work environment after informing his supervisors of his disabilities and requesting upgraded airline tickets for work travel, and alleging he was discriminated against due to his disability by being passed over for a promotion. Addressing the hostile-work-environment claim, the panel held that a disability-based harassment claim is available under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the Rehabilitation Act. Turning to the merits of Dr. Mattioda’s claim, the panel held that the district court correctly applied the Iqbal/Twombly standard in assessing his complaint. The district court erred, however, in concluding that Dr. Mattioda failed to allege a plausible causal nexus between the claimed harassment and his disabilities. The panel also rejected NASA’s argument that Dr. Mattioda’s hostile-work environment claim failed on the alternative ground that he did not allege sufficiently severe or pervasive harassment. The panel concluded that Dr. Mattioda alleged sufficiently severe or pervasive harassment to survive NASA’s motion to dismiss, and plausibly alleged a hostile-work environment claim based on his disability. Addressing the disability-discrimination claim, the panel held that the district court correctly applied the McDonnell Douglas burden-shifting framework in assessing Dr. Mattioda’s claim. Even assuming that Dr. Mattioda established a prima facie case of disability discrimination, NASA proffered a legitimate nondiscriminatory reason for not selecting Dr. Mattioda for an available senior scientist position. Accordingly, the district court did not err in granting summary judgment to NASA on this claim.

Some case metadata and case summaries were written with the help of AI, which can produce inaccuracies. You should read the full case before relying on it for legal research purposes.

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Testimonials

Things We Miss About Air Travel That We'll Never Get Again

N o one who's flown in the years after the pandemic can say we're in a good moment for air travel. From rising ticket costs to longer lines at the airport to rowdy passengers attacking flight attendants, it seems like flying has become a circus.

And while we won't be stopping our jet setting ways any time soon, it's hard not to dream about a time when passengers were treated like people and you didn't have to sit with your knees up to your chin.

Ready to dream the day away with us? These are the things we miss the most about the Golden Age of Travel...and one thing we're glad is gone.

No Baggage Limits

Gather 'round, kids! Back in the day, you could bring one, even two, large bags with you for free ! It sounds wild, even made up, but we swear it's true!

Now, many airlines charge even to bring a carry-on, especially if you're flying nationally. And, sure, while we've learned how to pack very light , sometimes we're nostalgic for the days when you didn't have to hack your way into bringing everything you needed without paying extra.

Amazing Live Entertainment

Did you know there used to be fashion shows and live piano bars in the sky? Since the government regulated prices for the air travel industry, airlines had to compete against each other by offering perks and the idea of a better experience. This translated into fancy cocktail lounges for economy class, live entertainment and a host of other things we could never imagine nowadays — unless you have the money to buy a first-class ticket on Singapore Airlines.

No Limit on Liquids in Your Carry-On

Pre-9/11 flying was a completely different experience. Of course, airport security existed, but it was much more lax. After the tragedy, TSA passed several measures to prevent another tragedy. One of these was limiting the amount of liquid people could bring in their carry-ons.

We definitely support making air travel safer. And having to buy TSA-approved containers for our toiletries is a small price to pay. But that doesn't mean we don't miss having no limits for liquids.

Decent Food in Economy

The next time you're forcing yourself to chew dry chicken on an airplane, remember that meals used to be cooked freshly and served with real silverware — even in economy.

Of course, tickets also used to be exorbitantly more expensive, so we'll put up with crappy in-flight meals (or the lack of meals at all) if it means saving some money.

Actual Foot Space

Did you know the average airplane seat is up to four inches smaller than it used to be?

In an attempt to earn more money and squish even more seats into planes, the industry has reduced both the width of the seats and the space between each seat and the one in front of it (called the pitch).

This often forces people to either splurge on a seat with more space or be horribly uncomfortable for hours.

You can still get free water while flying most airlines, but it is no longer a given. We wouldn't be surprised if fewer and fewer airlines offer it in the future so that eventually only business and first class get to hydrate without doling out some extra cash.

We're basically in the Titanic era of air travel .

Transferable Tickets

You're reading right, tickets used to be transferable! Got sick at the last minute? Give your plane ticket to your friend instead!

It's absolutely unfathomable to imagine this happening today and we probably would rather cancel the ticket than transfer it. But it would be so cool if a cheesy rom-com could have an airport moment where a good samaritan transfers their ticket at the last minute so the love interests can end up together.

Getting To See People Off at the Gate

Speaking of rom-coms, those ridiculous scenes where someone runs to the gate to declare their love before a loved one boards the plane used to be actually feasible. We don't think anyone ever did that, but they could have if they wanted to.

You also could go right up to the gate to send people off on their journey or even wait for them straight at the gate. This changed once security measures were made stricter.

Passengers Having Common Decency

It seems like airlines aren't the ones who have left their better days behind. Passengers are decidedly more aggressive , rowdy and rude post-pandemic. It seems like every day brings a new story of passengers fighting each other, hitting flight attendants, and even screaming at babies during flights.

Things have gotten so dire that planes have had to reroute and land because of unruly passengers. We're sure fights had to have happened before, but it seems like more passengers than ever are leaving basic human decency on the ground.

What We Don't Miss: Smoking on Airplanes

For all its glamour and Dior-clad flight attendants, the Golden Age of Travel also had smoked-filled cabins where everyone stank of cigarette smoke.

We still would've loved to live other aspects of this time, but we're not sure we could've handled a transatlantic flight filled with smoke. Yuck!

Things We Miss About Air Travel That We'll Never Get Again

Money latest: 'Stealth' raid on Britons' inheritance revealed; urgent Aldi recall amid police probe; petrol price spikes

Inheritance tax receipts surged to a record high last year due to the government freezing the threshold at which you start to pay. Read this plus all the latest consumer and personal finance news below - and listen to the latest Ian King Business Podcast as you scroll.

Tuesday 23 April 2024 19:50, UK

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Listen to the Ian King Business Podcast above and tap here to follow wherever you get your podcasts

Tesco is being monitored by the UK's supermarket regulator after it began imposing an "Amazon-style" fulfilment fee on online suppliers, according to The Times.

The supermarket faced criticism after it imposed the fee, which is linked to processing orders, picking and shipping products, and managing returns.

Brands and suppliers said the fee could put many of them out of business.

Tesco argued it made the decision after its own fulfilment costs grew when it expanded its online operations.

The smallest suppliers with contracts of £250,000 or less are exempt, but bigger suppliers pay from 12p per item for branded goods and 5p for own brands.

Carpetright has been hit by a cyberattack which has prevented it from trading across its 400 UK stores for almost a week, according to a report.

Customers have been unable to place orders in its shops since last Thursday, staff told The Times.

A spokeswoman added that online customers were "largely unaffected" and would be able to make new orders - but the attack will still be a financial blow for the flooring chain.

BP is rolling out a new crime logging platform and body-worn cameras to improve safety for its staff members.

The app-based platform will allow staff to report incidents and get in touch with police, as well as helping BP to identify offenders targeting multiple sites across its business.

The platform will also send an alert when repeat offenders or vehicles of interest are reported on the platform in the local area.

The government has announced a UK-wide ban on wet wipes containing plastic in a bid to reduce pollution.

According to the Marine Conservation Society, 11 billion wet wipes are used in the UK each year. Of these, 90% contain plastic.

Discarded wet wipes frequently litter Britain's beaches and eventually break down into microplastics, which contribute to water pollution and damage ecosystems.

The ban, announced yesterday, should go through parliament this summer.

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A scientist with physical disabilities, Dr. Andrew Mattioda, sued his employer, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. He alleged that he suffered a hostile work environment after informing his supervisors of his disabilities and requesting upgraded airline tickets for work travel. He also claimed he was discriminated against due to his ...
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How much is a seat on Virgin Galactic? $450,000. Here's what each trip includes.

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13 Things Tourists Should Know Before Traveling to Space, According to Astronauts

Your only job on the flight will be to kick back, relax, and enjoy the ride.

Make sure you’re physically and mentally fit.

The G-forces experienced on launch and reentry are not as intense as you might expect.

To prep for weightlessness, you should book a zero-gravity flight.

Learning how to scuba dive is good weightlessness training, too.

Come up with a game plan for your few minutes in space.

Don’t worry about taking your own photos.