Space tourism is the latest frontier in adventure travel. It's all about taking a trip to space for leisure or recreation.
While there are many types of space tourism—like orbital flights, suborbital flights, and even moon trips—it's a concept that's continuously evolving and expanding.
But space tourism can also include a wider range of activities. According to the Space Tourism Guide, it's any commercial activity related to space. This could mean traveling to space as a tourist, watching rocket launches, visiting launch sites, stargazing, and much more.
A Brief History of Space Tourism
The idea of space tourism became a reality when the first space tourist, American billionaire Dennis Tito, made his way to space. In April 2001, Tito spent nearly eight days aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The experience set him back about $20 million, making him the first ordinary citizen to buy a ticket to space.
After that, six more private citizens visited the ISS, making space tourism a bit more common. Once it became clear that people were interested, more companies entered the industry to capitalize on the growing excitement for space travel.
Companies like Blue Origin, founded in 2000, and Virgin-Galactic, founded in 2004, began working toward making space travel accessible to the public. At first, tourists could only fly aboard Soyuz spacecraft to the ISS, but now, as the market grows, various companies offer a variety of space destinations.
Space Tourism Companies
There are currently six major space companies working to arrange or plan space tourism flights:
• Virgin-Galactic
• Blue Origin
• SpaceX
• Boeing
• Axiom Space
• Space Perspective
The first two companies, Virgin-Galactic and Blue Origin, focus on suborbital flights. Axiom Space and Boeing are working on orbital flight missions, and SpaceX has plans for future moon tourism. Elon Musk's SpaceX has already used its Crew Dragon spacecraft for orbital flights, like the Inspiration4 mission, which lasted three days.
Meanwhile, Space Perspective is developing a balloon-based flight system that aims to take passengers to the stratosphere and plans to start commercial flights in 2024.
Orbital vs. Suborbital Flights
Orbital and suborbital flights are very different from one another. An orbital flight means staying in orbit, which involves traveling at extremely high speeds to keep circling the Earth and avoid falling back. This type of journey can last anywhere from a few days to over a week.
On the other hand, suborbital flights are more like a "space hop." You're launched, travel in a large arc, and then fall back to Earth without going into orbit. Suborbital flights usually last around 2 to 3 hours.
For example, a suborbital flight might take you up to 100 kilometers above the Earth's surface. To achieve orbit, you need to reach a speed of about 28,000 km/h or faster. To go up and return to Earth (suborbital), a speed of 6,000 km/h is enough. This makes suborbital flights less energy-intensive, using less fuel, and therefore, cheaper.
How Much Does Space Tourism Cost?
• Virgin-Galactic: $250,000 for a 2-hour suborbital flight at 80 kilometers high
• Blue Origin: $300,000 for a 12-minute suborbital flight at 100 kilometers high
• Axiom Space: $55 million for a 10-day orbital flight
• Space Perspective: $125,000 for a 6-hour suborbital flight at 32 kilometers high
As you can see, suborbital flights are generally cheaper compared to orbital flights.
Is Space Tourism Worth It?
What can you expect from a space trip? Besides the awe-inspiring views, here are some experiences you might have:
• Weightlessness: During suborbital flights, you'll experience a few minutes of weightlessness. It's an incredible feeling, and it's something you'll never forget.
• Space Sickness: This condition can include symptoms like cold sweats, nausea, fatigue, and vomiting. Even experienced astronauts can suffer from space sickness!
• G-Forces: The G-forces you'll experience during a rocket launch are intense. At launch, astronauts usually experience about 3G, which is three times the normal gravitational force on Earth. To understand how G-forces feel, check out this video.
Can I Become a Space Tourist?
At the moment, the biggest barrier to space tourism is the cost. But remember, air travel used to be extremely expensive too. Once, a single airplane ticket cost more than half the price of a new car. The same could be true for space travel—costs may decrease over time. For now, you either need to be extremely wealthy or win a ticket, like Sian Proctor, a member of the Inspiration4 mission.
But before you spend thousands of dollars on a space trip, consider this fact: it's not all smooth sailing.
Why is Space Tourism Harmful to the Environment?
Rocket launches can be harmful to the environment. The rocket fuel burns and releases harmful gases and soot particles, which can lead to ozone depletion. For example, in 2018, rockets produced as much black carbon as the entire global aviation industry does in a year.
That said, not all space companies use black carbon as fuel. For instance, Blue Origin's “New Shepard” rocket uses a liquid hydrogen fuel engine. Hydrogen doesn't produce carbon; instead, it turns into water vapor when burned.
However, the potential for mass adoption of space tourism is what's most concerning for the environment. The more rocket launches we have, the more carbon emissions will increase. Virgin-Galactic alone plans to launch up to 400 flights a year. Just imagine—1,000 space flights would release enough soot to warm Antarctica by nearly 1°C!
Would You Want to Be a Space Tourist?
Space tourism might be the next big thing in travel, but for now, it's still a luxury that only a few can afford. Do you think it's something you'd want to try? Share your thoughts with us, Lykkers! If you liked this article, don't forget to share it with your friends and let us know your opinions on social media.
