What is the current state of space tourism?
Ordinary citizens are now buying tickets to experience weightlessness and see the curvature of Earth.
The answer
Space tourism has evolved from billionaire stunts to a nascent industry. Blue Origin's New Shepard has launched over 30 passengers on suborbital flights reaching 100 kilometers, costing roughly $200,000-$450,000 per seat. Virgin Galactic began commercial suborbital service in 2023 at $450,000 per ticket, reaching 80 kilometers altitude, though operations were paused in 2024 for next-generation vehicle development. SpaceX sent the first all-civilian orbital crew on Inspiration4 in September 2021 and launched billionaire Jared Isaacman's Polaris Dawn mission in September 2024, which included the first commercial spacewalk at 700 kilometers altitude. Axiom Space has sent private crews to the ISS, and SpaceX contracted with Yusaku Maezawa for a canceled lunar flyby mission. Analysts project the space tourism market will reach $8 billion annually by 2030.
Source: BBC News
- space tourism
- Blue Origin
- Virgin Galactic
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