Space Tourism
4 Companies That Want to Launch You to Space ASAP
Space has never been so close to the average person.
Well, I wouldn’t say it’s within our collective reach, but certainly closer than ever before!
Slowly but surely, we’re creeping toward a future where you can book a ticket to space as easily as one to Europe, and the world’s chronically bored billionaires are all jockeying to be the first to get us there.
What I’ve tried to do here is gather up a few companies who’ve all taken a different approach. Take a look, maybe you’ll find your next vacation plan!
Space Perspective
Cost: $125 000 USD
Flying: In 2025
Afraid of flying the usual way? A Space Perspective balloon might be the perfect solution.
Reaching only 30km into the sky, it doesn’t technically count as reaching space, but it does get you above 99% of Earth’s atmosphere. This company is taking a different approach, prioritizing comfort and beautiful views over the bragging rights of crossing the Kármán line.
Space Perspective is the passion project of Jane Poynter, a seasoned aerospace executive who also co-founded Paragon Space Development Corporation after leaving the Biosphere 2 experiment.
Each ship, named Neptune, boasts panoramic windows, cocktail service, and a bathroom. You can even use the inflight Wi-Fi to call friends and family on the 6-hour voyage.
It’s also a wicked cool looking balloon, for what it’s worth.
Unlike the other companies on this list, Space Perspective has yet to launch its maiden voyage. The first balloon is slated for a 2025. Like any space tourism operation, you can expect it to be prone to unexpected delays. However, at only *cough* $125 000 USD, it’s a surprisingly affordable trip. If it’s successful, it may mark the beginning of space tourism for regular everyday rich folk, instead of just the cartoonishly wealthy.
Baby steps, I suppose.
Virgin Galactic
Cost: $450 000 USD
Flying: Now
Want a real spaceship experience, but stay in a “modest” budget? Consider the Virgin experience!
With over 800 would-be astronauts in line and a relatively low ticket price, Virgin Galactic is lining itself up to become the “everyman’s” space-liner. Unlike the rocket and capsule systems of Blue Origin and SpaceX, Virgin is relying on a fleet of high-tech spaceplanes.
The planes are launched midair from another, larger aircraft called White Knight Two. There’s a lot to be said for cool factor, these takeoffs are straight out of an 80’s sci-fi novel.
It’s current flagship, the VSS Unity, made its first commercial flight in June 2023. Since then, it has flown over a dozen different passengers, including founder Richard Branson.
Tourists on a Virgin Galactic flight can expect to enjoy a spacious airplane-like interior with plenty windows, and around 4 minutes of weightlessness. With a max altitude in the neighbourhood of 85 km, Unity passes the United States’ threshold for reaching outer space, but not the internationally recognized line of 100km.
The Unity has one more flight planned before she is sent off for a quiet retirement in favour of the upcoming Delta class spacecraft.
These successor ships are planned to be even easier to produced than the current spaceplanes, meaning it will only get easier to earn those Virgin wings!
Blue Origin
Cost: $0–$28 000 000 USD
Flying: Now
Compared to its main competitor, SpaceX, Blue Origin has a reputation for being a day late and a dollar short. However, Jeff Bezos’ pet project is leading the charge when it comes to getting butts in seats.
As of 2024, Blue has successfully flown 31 people, including both the oldest (90), and youngest (18), living person to ever complete a spaceflight, Jeff Bezos himself, and movie star William Shatner.
Obviously Blue Origin has no problem taking people of any age, which opens the door for prospective space tourists who could never meet the stringent physical requirements of a traditional space program. That said, this launchpad is begging a different pre-flight question:
How much does Jeff like you?
Blue Origin’s pricing structure is notoriously murky. The first public ticket sold for $28 million dollars at auction, while celebrities like William Shatner have flown for free. MoonDAO, a cryptocurrency company, paid only $1.25 million per seat in 2022. The company seems to be very selective about who it takes up. Compare this to Virgin Galactic, which has a very clear sign-up package available and a long waitlist.
Blue Origin seems to value its PR more than its competitors, preferring to send notable figures to space for free. This allows them to capitalize on the goodwill of the celebrities’ fans and foster a reputation for valuing human exploration over a pay cheque. This appears to be paying off for them, if their glowing customer reviews are any indication.
SpaceX
Cost: At least $55 000 000 USD
Flying: TBA
If you’re looking for the most hardcore space experience in America, SpaceX is will take you to the moon. Literally.
The catch? You need to be rich.
Like, rich rich.
Well, unless you have an in with Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa, who’s chartering this insane experience and taking 8 of his favourite artists for free.
SpaceX confirmed in 2017 a contracted plan to take the tourist group on a flyby of the moon. With the shelving of Falcon Heavy and the development of Starship, it has been delayed indefinitely.
If that still isn’t enough for you, try a stay at the International Space Station, which SpaceX pulled off for the first time in 2021. The flight, named Inspiration4, was crewed by four regular citizens. The rookie crew were trained for flight by SpaceX and used their time to perform experiments on how spaceflight affects the human body.
Later in 2023, Axiom Mission 1 launched three paying customers to the ISS for $50 million dollars apiece.
It’s probably pretty clear by the price that SpaceX is not taking the same approach to space tourism. The company prefers to charter its craft for loftier goals than vacations alone, and even the dearMoon project is expected to be a valuable testing ground for Starship.
What that means for potential passengers is that you will either need a deep skillset… or extra deep pockets.
I don’t think I (or most living people) will ever be in the right tax bracket to take a ride to space… But I do love a good window shop.
These four companies are who you’ll likely see dominating headlines for the next few years, but during my research I found even more startups and companies that I’d never seen before.
Who knows, maybe one of them will give me a ride one day. Until then, I review from the ground.
Thanks so much for taking the time. I’m always looking for feedback and new people to follow so don’t be afraid to give me a shout! You can find a comprehensive (and free) collection of my work at: www.viclouis1.wordpress.com
