{"id":55325,"date":"2022-05-23T21:49:58","date_gmt":"2022-05-23T13:49:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/marking-a-new-era-of-human-voyages-to-space\/"},"modified":"2022-05-23T21:49:58","modified_gmt":"2022-05-23T13:49:58","slug":"marking-a-new-era-of-human-voyages-to-space","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/marking-a-new-era-of-human-voyages-to-space\/","title":{"rendered":"Marking a New Era of Human Voyages to Space"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The half-century push to carry humans and cargo to space, initially funded by governments and enabled by investments and ingenuity of space sector visionaries, is here at last. What are the returns for both space tourism and space stations under development? And how do we ensure the final frontier remains accessible to everyone, not just the ultra-wealthy?<\/p>\n<p>Laura Forczyk, owner of space consulting firm Astralytical and author of \u201cBecoming Off-Worldly,\u201d which features interviews with former astronauts to better prepare future citizen astronauts, notes that two things happened since 2020 that have propelled the market forward \u2013 first, SpaceX gained the capability to launch people into space, and second, Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin\u2019s progress with suborbital spaceflight.<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" src=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/TjfBcGu5THerF0huZk8J_VS_060122_DGTL_Cover-300x225.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" style=\"width: 120px; height: auto;\" decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/TjfBcGu5THerF0huZk8J_VS_060122_DGTL_Cover-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/TjfBcGu5THerF0huZk8J_VS_060122_DGTL_Cover-800x599.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/TjfBcGu5THerF0huZk8J_VS_060122_DGTL_Cover-640x480.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/TjfBcGu5THerF0huZk8J_VS_060122_DGTL_Cover.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\t\t\t<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"fs-5 mt-0\">Explore the June 2022 Issue<\/h3>\n<p class=\"mb-0 fs-smaller text-balance\">Check out more from this issue and find your next story to read.<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t<button class=\"btn btn-primary\" type=\"button\" data-bs-toggle=\"offcanvas\" data-bs-target=\"#offcanvasMENU\" aria-controls=\"offcanvasExample\" aria-label=\"button\" style=\"white-space: nowrap;\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\tView More <i class=\"bi bi-arrow-right-circle\"><\/i><br \/>\n\t\t\t<\/button><\/p>\n<p>She cautioned that one gating factor remains: the high price tag of space travel. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cSpaceflight is expensive and human spaceflight is even more expensive. A very limited number of people can fly right now, but that will scale up in the future.\u201d She cites SpaceX\u2019s Starship vehicle and the modular design of new commercial space stations as examples of how space travel will scale in the future. Starship is currently in development and designed to carry hundreds of passengers to Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars, and beyond. <\/p>\n<p>No one can dispute that high-net-worth individuals are getting the first rides to space. Space billionaires Sir Richard Branson and Jeff Bezos, led the way, riding on their respective capsules in 2021. This past April, Axiom-1, the first all-private tourism mission, rocketed to the International Space Station (ISS) on a SpaceX Crew Dragon, carrying four passengers, three of whom paid $55 million apiece for their roundtrip ticket.<\/p>\n<p><script>var AIAD_fcd45f981d570e35cee941b23edc69c7_6a692b2e3b62f;googletag.cmd.push(function(){var AIMAP_29b58f13885ebf8ea6b032f958eb0748 = googletag.sizeMapping().addSize([992, 100], [[970, 90], [970, 250]]).addSize([768, 100], [728, 90]).addSize([320, 100], [320, 50]).build();var AIMAP_737ce075cc05dd766c8f8ea08f3faa73 = googletag.sizeMapping().addSize([768, 100], [728, 90]).addSize([320, 100], [320, 50]).build();var AIMAP_21fe3bcfb86a8660aba4e721ee9338f3 = googletag.sizeMapping().addSize([1200, 100], [970, 250]).addSize([768, 100], [600, 300]).addSize([320, 100], [300, 250]).build();AIAD_fcd45f981d570e35cee941b23edc69c7_6a692b2e3b62f = googletag.defineSlot('\/987\/satellitetoday.com\/via-satellite-digital-issue-ads', [ [600, 300], [300, 250], [970, 250] ], 'div-gpt-ad-1774631144891- 0-6a692b2e3b630').defineSizeMapping(AIMAP_21fe3bcfb86a8660aba4e721ee9338f3).setCollapseEmptyDiv(true).addService(googletag.pubads());   });<\/script><script>googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1774631144891- 0-6a692b2e3b630'); });<\/script><\/p>\n<p>Harkening back to the earliest days of air travel, serial space entrepreneur Jason Andrews says it\u2019s not surprising that the wealthy will be the first to experience space tourism, as that was the case as well when passenger air travel began in the 1920s.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe 2020 decade will be the same as the 1920s, when air travel was for the rich. They traveled in first class luxury accommodations, and it wasn\u2019t for the general masses. That\u2019s what we\u2019re going to see in the 2020s for space travel. It\u2019s going to be for the rich. But that\u2019s okay because if we can\u2019t get the rich flown, we\u2019ll never get to the masse,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<p>Andrews and other experts agree that space travel will become the norm sooner than people realize, with space tourism serving as a way \u201cto open the door commercially for this industry to thrive. I\u2019ve always had this mindset that it was just a matter of when not if.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Andrews is focused on bringing space tourism to reality. The former founder of Spaceflight Industries and BlackSky currently leads Orbite, established in 2019 to train private citizens for space travel from a physical, mental, and spiritual capacity. <\/p>\n<p> \u201cOur observation was you have all these people investing billions of dollars to build this amazing infrastructure, but no one\u2019s really focused on the passengers. How do you train and equip this next generation of space travelers? It\u2019s not only people that are going for pleasure, but it\u2019s also people going there for their profession,\u201d Andrews says.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"flex flex-col justify-center items-center w-full image-block px-8\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Placeholder alt text\" class=\"w-full object-cover mx-auto\" src=\"http:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/AYdb0Cw5R3GMff3Oh6vo_Orbite_Photo.jpg\"><figcaption class=\"p-3 bg-gray-300 bg-opacity-50 italic mx-auto w-full\"> Orbite participants take a zero-G flight to experience weightlessness. Photo: Orbite <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Andrews\u2019 current venture, Orbite, offers astronaut training, from entry-level astronaut orientation that educates the public on the industry to help create \u201ceducated buyers,\u201d to more advanced space experiences that help prepare travelers for suborbital and orbital space travel. Courses range from a few hours and a few hundred dollars to multiple weeks that can cost over $100,000.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re trying to build a pipeline of pre-screened, pre-qualified customers who are ready to go to space. That\u2019s what the industry needs,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<p>He recalls in 1995 when NASA commissioned market studies on the commercial market opportunity for space, the agency identified three areas of greatest promise: a Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) business park, nuclear waste disposal on the moon, and space tourism.  <\/p>\n<p>Twenty-seven years later, interest and investment in the space sector has accelerated to hyper speed.  Rob Meyerson, founder and CEO of aerospace and technology management consulting firm Delalune Space, observes, \u201cThere\u2019s something in space tourism for all sorts of ranges or levels of affordability.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><script>var AIAD_fcd45f981d570e35cee941b23edc69c7_6a692b2e3bba9;googletag.cmd.push(function(){var AIMAP_29b58f13885ebf8ea6b032f958eb0748 = googletag.sizeMapping().addSize([992, 100], [[970, 90], [970, 250]]).addSize([768, 100], [728, 90]).addSize([320, 100], [320, 50]).build();var AIMAP_737ce075cc05dd766c8f8ea08f3faa73 = googletag.sizeMapping().addSize([768, 100], [728, 90]).addSize([320, 100], [320, 50]).build();var AIMAP_21fe3bcfb86a8660aba4e721ee9338f3 = googletag.sizeMapping().addSize([1200, 100], [970, 250]).addSize([768, 100], [600, 300]).addSize([320, 100], [300, 250]).build();AIAD_fcd45f981d570e35cee941b23edc69c7_6a692b2e3bba9 = googletag.defineSlot('\/987\/satellitetoday.com\/via-satellite-digital-issue-ads', [ [600, 300], [300, 250], [970, 250] ], 'div-gpt-ad-1774631144891- 0-6a692b2e3bbaa').defineSizeMapping(AIMAP_21fe3bcfb86a8660aba4e721ee9338f3).setCollapseEmptyDiv(true).addService(googletag.pubads());   });<\/script><script>googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1774631144891- 0-6a692b2e3bbaa'); });<\/script><\/p>\n<p>Meyerson explains that people can begin to enjoy space tourism without leaving the ground by visiting a space museum or a NASA visitor center to attend a launch. <\/p>\n<p>Space enthusiasts can also participate in high-performance airplane flights from companies like Zero-G Experience, where people can experience weightlessness on a specially modified Boeing 727 G-Force One aircraft that flies aerobatic maneuvers called parabolas. Coming soon are zero-pressure balloon rides from firms like Space Perspective and World View that allow tourists to hover 100,000 feet above the Earth\u2019s surface before returning to Earth over a two-hour return voyage. The more costly adventures are suborbital trips from firms such as Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic, followed by orbital flights from SpaceX and, eventually, trips to orbital destinations from Axiom Space.<\/p>\n<p>Both World View and Space Perspective are taking reservations for balloon-operated spacecraft that will allow passengers to glide up to the stratosphere in luxurious cabins and enjoy the view before a slow return to the ground. World View plans to offer scenic landings in the wonders of the world \u2013 such as Amazonia, Brazil, the Giza Pyramids in Egypt and the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. According to Phil Wocken, director of marketing, first commercial flights are scheduled to begin in early 2024 out of World View\u2019s first spaceport near the Grand Canyon.<\/p>\n<p>Space Perspective expects to begin commercial flights in late 2024. In April, the company unveiled a customizable Space Lounge interior with comfortable lounge chairs,  mood lighting, Wi-Fi and a fully stocked bar.  The company stated it offers the only carbon-neutral zero-emission way to visit the edge of space via a unique SpaceBalloon connected to the capsule.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur offer is about advancing a better appreciation of planet Earth and the interconnectedness of the human race,\u201d states Space Perspective founder and CEO Jane Poynter, who said the 360-degree panoramic windows will be the largest-ever flown to space, providing a view 450 miles in any direction.  <\/p>\n<p>Space Perspective is putting emphasis on hospitality and user experience, bringing on experience curator David Grutman, a leader in the hospitality field, known for creating immersive experiences for restaurants, hotels, and nightclubs. Poynter says the views \u201cwill be even more magical when layered with David\u2019s flair for hospitality and entertainment.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>Reusability &amp; Reaching the Masses: Starship  <\/h3>\n<p>Experts agree that reusable spacecraft \u2013 rockets capable of repeated orbit and landing \u2014 are key to making space an option for the masses.  SpaceX\u2019s orbital launch systems are being developed for reuse, including the boosters on the Falcon 9, which are regularly landed for repeat launches. SpaceX\u2019s huge Starship rocket, designed for eventual trips to the moon and Mars, is a fully reusable spacecraft built to carry more than 100 metric tons of cargo and crew per launch. SpaceX founder Elon Musk has described Spaceship as key to efficient, large-scale orbital space travel. <\/p>\n<p>For space entrepreneurs like Orbite founder Andrews, Musk\u2019s vision for Spaceship signaled the feasibility of a large-scale space travel market. The market is developing quicker than those in the industry expected, he says. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t think people fully appreciate how revolutionary Starship is,\u201d notes Andrews, explaining that once he and co-founder Nicolas Gaume, fully understood SpaceX\u2019s vision behind Starship, they felt propelled to launch their professional astronaut training program. <\/p>\n<p><script>var AIAD_fcd45f981d570e35cee941b23edc69c7_6a692b2e3c1bc;googletag.cmd.push(function(){var AIMAP_29b58f13885ebf8ea6b032f958eb0748 = googletag.sizeMapping().addSize([992, 100], [[970, 90], [970, 250]]).addSize([768, 100], [728, 90]).addSize([320, 100], [320, 50]).build();var AIMAP_737ce075cc05dd766c8f8ea08f3faa73 = googletag.sizeMapping().addSize([768, 100], [728, 90]).addSize([320, 100], [320, 50]).build();var AIMAP_21fe3bcfb86a8660aba4e721ee9338f3 = googletag.sizeMapping().addSize([1200, 100], [970, 250]).addSize([768, 100], [600, 300]).addSize([320, 100], [300, 250]).build();AIAD_fcd45f981d570e35cee941b23edc69c7_6a692b2e3c1bc = googletag.defineSlot('\/987\/satellitetoday.com\/via-satellite-digital-issue-ads', [ [600, 300], [300, 250], [970, 250] ], 'div-gpt-ad-1774631144891- 0-6a692b2e3c1bd').defineSizeMapping(AIMAP_21fe3bcfb86a8660aba4e721ee9338f3).setCollapseEmptyDiv(true).addService(googletag.pubads());   });<\/script><script>googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1774631144891- 0-6a692b2e3c1bd'); });<\/script><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s when we said, \u2018We have to found this company and go as fast as possible,\u2019\u201d he recalls. <\/p>\n<p>Orbite is currently building an astronaut training facility that will leverage everything NASA has pioneered over 60 years but adapting it to a clientele who aren\u2019t professional astronauts. The company  emphasizes physical as well as mental and spiritual preparation.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou can just talk to anyone who\u2019s been on Blue recently, especially William Shatner, it is overwhelming. The Overview Effect [the shift in awareness that results from viewing Earth from orbit or the moon] is real,\u201d he says.  <\/p>\n<p>Another entrepreneur, Jared Isaacman, founder of payment processing company Shift4, made history this past September piloting the first private spaceflight to orbit the Earth comprised of all nonprofessional astronauts. The mission, called Inspiration4, raised $240 million for St. Jude Children\u2019s Research Hospital. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"flex flex-col justify-center items-center w-full image-block px-8\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Placeholder alt text\" class=\"w-full object-cover mx-auto max-w-sm\" src=\"http:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/nOfcQYRwSXmuSl4aieLb_51492841092_d9d75ebeed_o_-_11-04-2021_-_Full-scaled.jpg\"><figcaption class=\"p-3 bg-gray-300 bg-opacity-50 italic mx-auto max-w-sm\">Jared Isaacman, founder and CEO of Shift4 Payments and commander of the Inspiration4 mission.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cWe were immensely fortunate to have the opportunity to train at SpaceX and ultimately undertake a successful mission to orbit and back,\u201d Isaacman says. \u201cHopefully, we showed that space doesn\u2019t need to remain the exclusive domain of governments, but that we can open the door for a better future while also working to address some of the real hardships of the day.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He agrees that the key to opening spaceflight to the masses is reusability.  <\/p>\n<p>\u201c[Reusable spacecraft] drive down costs to ultimately make space more accessible for people, for science and research and more,\u201d states Isaacman.<\/p>\n<p>The billionaire credits the two decades of hard work by SpaceX to build a highly reusable spacecraft system with the significant momentum the world is seeing for space travel. He is now preparing for the first of three missions under a new partnership with SpaceX called the Polaris Program, established to demonstrate new technology that will culminate with the first crewed launch of Starship.  Polaris Dawn\u2019s first launch is slated for no earlier than November 2022 and will include the first Crew Dragon spacewalk.   <\/p>\n<p>\u201cStarship can be the 737 for human spaceflight and truly make humankind a spacefaring civilization,\u201d says Isaacman, who hopes \u201cto further humanity to become interplanetary.\u201d <\/p>\n<p><script>var AIAD_fcd45f981d570e35cee941b23edc69c7_6a692b2e3cbac;googletag.cmd.push(function(){var AIMAP_29b58f13885ebf8ea6b032f958eb0748 = googletag.sizeMapping().addSize([992, 100], [[970, 90], [970, 250]]).addSize([768, 100], [728, 90]).addSize([320, 100], [320, 50]).build();var AIMAP_737ce075cc05dd766c8f8ea08f3faa73 = googletag.sizeMapping().addSize([768, 100], [728, 90]).addSize([320, 100], [320, 50]).build();var AIMAP_21fe3bcfb86a8660aba4e721ee9338f3 = googletag.sizeMapping().addSize([1200, 100], [970, 250]).addSize([768, 100], [600, 300]).addSize([320, 100], [300, 250]).build();AIAD_fcd45f981d570e35cee941b23edc69c7_6a692b2e3cbac = googletag.defineSlot('\/987\/satellitetoday.com\/via-satellite-digital-issue-ads', [ [600, 300], [300, 250], [970, 250] ], 'div-gpt-ad-1774631144891- 0-6a692b2e3cbad').defineSizeMapping(AIMAP_21fe3bcfb86a8660aba4e721ee9338f3).setCollapseEmptyDiv(true).addService(googletag.pubads());   });<\/script><script>googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1774631144891- 0-6a692b2e3cbad'); });<\/script><\/p>\n<p>He applauds the progress Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic has made in the last year with suborbital flights but observed that both companies still need to scale if they hope to achieve an affordable price point that would be accessible to the public.<\/p>\n<h3>Space Travel Demand Outstrips Supply<\/h3>\n<p>During the space tourism and space station panel at SATELLITE 2022 in March, the two suborbital competitors reported strong bookings:  An auction for an open seat on Blue Origin\u2019s first passenger spaceflight last July drew a winning bid of $28 million. The company has since completed four missions, including one carrying Star Trek\u2019s original Captain Kirk, actor William Shatner. Blue Origin\u2019s flight time is 11 minutes, while Virgin Galactic\u2019s spaceship\u2019s flight duration is approximately 90 minutes, but passengers on both vehicles spend less than 5 minutes in space.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe industry can\u2019t keep up with demand right now,\u201d said panelist Ariane Cornell, vice president of Commercial &amp; International Sales for Blue Origin. She says Blue Origin has generated $100 million in sales with a strong pipeline of interested and confirmed reservations for future flights. <\/p>\n<p>As of April 25, 750 people have made spaceflight reservations for Virgin Galactic\u2019s piloted flights, in which a spaceplane is launched mid-air from a carrier plane.<\/p>\n<p>Panelist Sirisha Bandla, vice president of Government Affairs for Virgin Galactic, who became the second woman born in India to fly to space on Virgin Galactic\u2019s SpaceShipTwo in July 2021, emphasized that missions that include science missions and commercial activities in space will help lower the barrier to entry for space access by \u201callowing a wider swath of users in the market to access space at a much lower cost.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re seeing a lot of the consumers that want to use suborbital to test technologies and do R&amp;D for  orbital missions that are much longer duration.  We\u2019re seeing that pipeline starting to form,\u201d she said. \u201cThose people I truly believe are not going to be one-time users; they are going to fly other vehicles.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"flex flex-col justify-center items-center w-full image-block px-8\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Placeholder alt text\" class=\"w-full object-cover mx-auto\" src=\"http:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/maHUdP3IQKiemADxc5Oe_Blue-Origin-First-Human-Flight-L0-New-Shepard-Launch.jpg\"><figcaption class=\"p-3 bg-gray-300 bg-opacity-50 italic mx-auto w-full\">Blue Origin\u2019s first human flight crew launch takes off on a successful mission to space aboard the New Shepard rocket on July 20, 2021. Photo: Blue Origin<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>In a follow-up interview with <em class=\"Annotation -emphasis\">Via Satellite<\/em>, Cornell explains that Blue Origin\u2019s New Shepard rocket is fully automated, and the company is working to make flights more routine. \u201cEvery penny New Shepard makes goes back into the program to lower the cost and increase the cadence of flights.\u201d  <\/p>\n<p>Cornell notes that while New Shepard was designed to open the suborbital space tourism and research markets, it was also built for another purpose\u2014\u201cto learn how to make human spaceflight routine, safe and low cost, so we can use the effectively limitless resources of space for the benefit of Earth.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She adds that the experience Blue Origin is gaining on New Shepard gives the team confidence they will be successful with the New Glenn, Blue Origin\u2019s two-stage orbital reusable launch vehicle. <\/p>\n<p><script>var AIAD_fcd45f981d570e35cee941b23edc69c7_6a692b2e3d2cf;googletag.cmd.push(function(){var AIMAP_29b58f13885ebf8ea6b032f958eb0748 = googletag.sizeMapping().addSize([992, 100], [[970, 90], [970, 250]]).addSize([768, 100], [728, 90]).addSize([320, 100], [320, 50]).build();var AIMAP_737ce075cc05dd766c8f8ea08f3faa73 = googletag.sizeMapping().addSize([768, 100], [728, 90]).addSize([320, 100], [320, 50]).build();var AIMAP_21fe3bcfb86a8660aba4e721ee9338f3 = googletag.sizeMapping().addSize([1200, 100], [970, 250]).addSize([768, 100], [600, 300]).addSize([320, 100], [300, 250]).build();AIAD_fcd45f981d570e35cee941b23edc69c7_6a692b2e3d2cf = googletag.defineSlot('\/987\/satellitetoday.com\/via-satellite-digital-issue-ads', [ [600, 300], [300, 250], [970, 250] ], 'div-gpt-ad-1774631144891- 0-6a692b2e3d2d0').defineSizeMapping(AIMAP_21fe3bcfb86a8660aba4e721ee9338f3).setCollapseEmptyDiv(true).addService(googletag.pubads());   });<\/script><script>googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1774631144891- 0-6a692b2e3d2d0'); });<\/script><\/p>\n<p>\u201cBy having a suborbital vehicle built to fly people from the beginning, you can gain experience with many of the techniques and technologies needed for orbital human flight, but at a far lower cost, at a faster flight rate, and in a larger market,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n<p>The timing of New Glenn\u2019s launch won\u2019t occur before 2023, Jarrett Jones, senior vice president of the New Glenn program, stated during SATELLITE 2022.<\/p>\n<h3>Expanding Access and Accessibility <\/h3>\n<p>Many entrepreneurs want to ensure that space is accessible to everyone, with efforts ranging from a new global reality-TV program to initiatives to champion disability inclusion in space and contests to inspire more girls to pursue space careers. <\/p>\n<p>Space Hero will be launching a biennial competition series where the winning contestant will receive a 10-day trip to the ISS valued at $55 million, the largest prize ever awarded on a reality TV show. The only qualification to enter? Applicants must be at least 18 and speak English \u2015 \u201cthe language of space,\u201d says Space Hero Co-founder Deborah Sass. \u201cThe barrier to entry is very, very low. It has to be because if you\u2019re going to be a multiplanetary species, everybody has to be able to go.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs spaceflight becomes the norm and financially and situationally accessible, it\u2019s going to have to be accessible to everyone,\u201d agrees Eric Ingram, founder and CEO of Scout, Inc.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"flex flex-col justify-center items-center w-full image-block px-8\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Placeholder alt text\" class=\"w-full object-cover mx-auto max-w-sm\" src=\"http:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/sDKkNRARjOJH26VQavap_AstroAccess_Eric_Ingram_720_credit_Zero_G_Corporation_and_Al_Powers.jpg\"><figcaption class=\"p-3 bg-gray-300 bg-opacity-50 italic mx-auto max-w-sm\">Scout CEO Eric Ingram took a zero-gravity flight with AstroAccess to understand how spacesuits and space vessels can be more accessible to people with disabilities.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Ingram was one of 12 disability ambassadors for AstroAccess, an organization dedicated to disability inclusion in space exploration. Along with collaborator Zero Gravity Corporation, AstroAccess kicked off a campaign that hopes to inspire a space era that includes disabled astronauts. <\/p>\n<p>Ingram and the other ambassadors took a zero-gravity flight this past October to understand how spacesuits and space vessels can be more user-friendly and accessible to people with mobility, hearing, and vision disabilities.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve used a wheelchair my entire life and this was a completely novel, transformative experience,\u201d recalls Ingram, who also points to a financial reason for the space industry to focus on accessibility issues. \u201cSome 15 percent of the world\u2019s population has some form of a disability. If they don\u2019t feel welcome, or able to experience whatever product you\u2019re providing, that\u2019s 15 percent of the possible market share you\u2019re automatically missing out on,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<p>The Space Prize Foundation, started by the founders of Space VIP, an elite travel agency, is another group looking to expand access to space to middle and high school girls who remain under-represented in the space industry. According to the United Nations, only one in five space industry workers are women. Of the 566 people who have been to space, only 11.5 percent have been female, while women collectively account for about 20 percent of the space industry.<\/p>\n<p><script>var AIAD_fcd45f981d570e35cee941b23edc69c7_6a692b2e3d999;googletag.cmd.push(function(){var AIMAP_29b58f13885ebf8ea6b032f958eb0748 = googletag.sizeMapping().addSize([992, 100], [[970, 90], [970, 250]]).addSize([768, 100], [728, 90]).addSize([320, 100], [320, 50]).build();var AIMAP_737ce075cc05dd766c8f8ea08f3faa73 = googletag.sizeMapping().addSize([768, 100], [728, 90]).addSize([320, 100], [320, 50]).build();var AIMAP_21fe3bcfb86a8660aba4e721ee9338f3 = googletag.sizeMapping().addSize([1200, 100], [970, 250]).addSize([768, 100], [600, 300]).addSize([320, 100], [300, 250]).build();AIAD_fcd45f981d570e35cee941b23edc69c7_6a692b2e3d999 = googletag.defineSlot('\/987\/satellitetoday.com\/via-satellite-digital-issue-ads', [ [600, 300], [300, 250], [970, 250] ], 'div-gpt-ad-1774631144891- 0-6a692b2e3d99a').defineSizeMapping(AIMAP_21fe3bcfb86a8660aba4e721ee9338f3).setCollapseEmptyDiv(true).addService(googletag.pubads());   });<\/script><script>googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1774631144891- 0-6a692b2e3d99a'); });<\/script><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat leaves a lot of kids feeling like it\u2019s not for them or they\u2019re not a part of it or it\u2019s going to be hard for them. We\u2019re trying to improve those statistics,\u201d notes Mark Wagner, the foundation\u2019s president.<\/p>\n<p>After a successful New York City school pilot, the foundation will launch a Global Space Prize Challenge this June open to 15- to 18-year-old women worldwide. Thirty finalists will all work with mentors and experience a Zero G flight and two grand prize winners will fly on an upcoming Space Perspective launch.   <\/p>\n<h3>Predicting the Future<\/h3>\n<p>So, what will space tourism traffic look like by 2030 and beyond?  <\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn 10 years, there\u2019s going to be one or more private space stations in Low-Earth Orbit. We\u2019re already going to have more competitive sources for the launch of people and cargo,\u201d predicts Meyerson, who foresees multiple research and manufacturing platforms. He also points to the Artemis program spurring more exploration of the Moon, \u201cfurther enabled by competing landers and transportation services.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Space Perspective\u2019s Poynter says, \u201cWithin the next 10 years we will see routine spaceflight operations and thousands of people visiting space. In the same way that people in the early days of air travel and computers could not imagine how they would soon affect all our lives, so, too, we cannot yet imagine the immense impact space travel will have on society in the coming years.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Andrews says it wouldn\u2019t surprise him if Musk\u2019s Spaceship makes it to Mars by 2030, but not necessarily crewed by humans, but \u201cdefinitely\u201d by 2040. <\/p>\n<p>Isaacman doesn\u2019t think space tourism should extend to orbital missions given the inherent risks and training required for those longer duration trips but he expressed confidence that the economics will fall into place to create a vibrant space economy. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs costs continue to come down and there are more paths to orbit, more and more people will journey to orbit and try and accomplish important things. I believe people will be working in space as opposed to just visiting it,\u201d he concludes. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The half-century push to carry humans and cargo to space, initially funded by governments and enabled by investments and ingenuity of space sector visionaries, is here at last. What are the returns for both space tourism and space stations under development? And how do we ensure the final frontier remains accessible to everyone, not just [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":55326,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-55325","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55325"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=55325"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55325\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/55326"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=55325"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=55325"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=55325"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}