{"id":62011,"date":"2019-07-22T20:25:43","date_gmt":"2019-07-22T12:25:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/the-coming-of-space-tourism\/"},"modified":"2019-07-22T20:25:43","modified_gmt":"2019-07-22T12:25:43","slug":"the-coming-of-space-tourism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/the-coming-of-space-tourism\/","title":{"rendered":"The Coming of Space Tourism"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Hitching a ride to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) soon will no longer be the domain of elite trained astronauts \u2014 it will be within reach of wealthy private citizens as early as this year, if NASA and a host of early space firms realize their ambitions.   <\/p>\n<p>With the likes of Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Sir Richard Branson leading the charge for privately funded space excursions, one fact is clear: space tourism is coming \u2014 buoyed by public support, government incentives, and private sector innovation.<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" src=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/GFW70v2rRyCPy16sOpcQ_VS_080119_Cover_DGTL-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\/GFW70v2rRyCPy16sOpcQ_VS_080119_Cover_DGTL-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/GFW70v2rRyCPy16sOpcQ_VS_080119_Cover_DGTL-800x600.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/GFW70v2rRyCPy16sOpcQ_VS_080119_Cover_DGTL-640x480.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/GFW70v2rRyCPy16sOpcQ_VS_080119_Cover_DGTL.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\t\t\t<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"fs-5 mt-0\">Explore the August 2019 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>In a press conference on June 7, NASA announced its strategy to open up the International Space Station (ISS) for commercial business as part of its drive to accelerate a thriving commercial economy in LEO. <\/p>\n<p>Included in NASA\u2019s sweeping announcement was welcoming the first non-astronauts onto the space station for week-long stays as early as next year \u2014 at a price tag of $50 million per rider to land on station, and $35,000 per night to stay there.<\/p>\n<p>NASA isn\u2019t alone. Virgin Galactic intends to offer its first tourist flights to space from the company\u2019s \u201cSpaceport America\u201d in New Mexico as early as next year. SpaceX announced last September its first private passenger to the moon: Japanese retail entrepreneur and art collector Yusaku Maezawa. The billionaire\u2019s trip, slated for 2023, will include several invited artists and possibly SpaceX founder Elon Musk. Blue Origin \u201cis targeting human flight this year, but it\u2019s not a race \u2013 we\u2019ll fly when we\u2019re ready,\u201d says Ariane Cornell, director of astronaut and orbital sales.<\/p>\n<p><script>var AIAD_fcd45f981d570e35cee941b23edc69c7_6a68467ed221a;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_6a68467ed221a = googletag.defineSlot('\/987\/satellitetoday.com\/via-satellite-digital-issue-ads', [ [600, 300], [300, 250], [970, 250] ], 'div-gpt-ad-1774631144891- 0-6a68467ed221b').defineSizeMapping(AIMAP_21fe3bcfb86a8660aba4e721ee9338f3).setCollapseEmptyDiv(true).addService(googletag.pubads());   });<\/script><script>googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1774631144891- 0-6a68467ed221b'); });<\/script><\/p>\n<p>As part of its announcement on May 30, NASA released summaries of its LEO commercialization studies. A total of 12 companies examined the potential growth of a LEO economy, as part of an effort to transition LEO operations to a commercial model in which NASA would be one of many clients of commercial space facilities. <\/p>\n<p>The plan calls for for-profit activities, including space tourism, in-space manufacturing, video products for entertainment, and in-space assembly and servicing, and transportation of people and cargo to and from LEO. <\/p>\n<p>One study participant, Jeffrey Manber, CEO of NanoRacks, has long advocated for commercial space tourism from his days as head of Mir Corp., which leased the aging space station Mir for two years. He explains that while NanoRacks\u2019 focus is more on supporting \u201cprofessional astronauts,\u201d or those hosted by companies and academic institutions, those individuals, too, will be space tourists when not working. <\/p>\n<p>He envisions a future where \u201ceveryday people will be living, working and playing in space.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe will see space hotels, we will see outposts for professional astronauts, and we\u2019ll see in the next decade about 10 private space stations \u2014 some automated, some for tourists, some for professional astronauts,\u201d he predicts, though how quickly this occurs will depend on launch prices coming down.<\/p>\n<p>While acknowledging the excitement for space tourism, Manber cautions that it shouldn\u2019t overshadow the critical in-orbit work of scientists and commercial firms. \u201cI don\u2019t want our future as a space-faring nation to be dependent on tourism. We\u2019re focused also on breakthroughs in research, new technology and in-space manufacturing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Clearly, NASA is looking to the \u201ccreative private sector\u201d to drive a LEO economy. It hopes dollars from space tourism and professional astronaut missions will help fund its broader science and space exploration goals, including the push to the moon and Mars. And, not surprisingly, there\u2019s no shortage of entrepreneurs looking to be first out of the gate to offer people with means a ride.<\/p>\n<h2>Growing Demand for Rides to Space<\/h2>\n<p>George Whitesides, CEO, Virgin Galactic and the Spaceship Company, reports \u201ctremendous enthusiasm\u201d among space enthusiasts interested in riding to LEO with Virgin Galactic.<\/p>\n<p> \u201cWe already have over 600 customers, or future astronauts, who\u2019ve put down deposits for a ride on SpaceShipTwo.\u201d    <\/p>\n<p><script>var AIAD_fcd45f981d570e35cee941b23edc69c7_6a68467ed28bd;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_6a68467ed28bd = googletag.defineSlot('\/987\/satellitetoday.com\/via-satellite-digital-issue-ads', [ [600, 300], [300, 250], [970, 250] ], 'div-gpt-ad-1774631144891- 0-6a68467ed28be').defineSizeMapping(AIMAP_21fe3bcfb86a8660aba4e721ee9338f3).setCollapseEmptyDiv(true).addService(googletag.pubads());   });<\/script><script>googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1774631144891- 0-6a68467ed28be'); });<\/script><\/p>\n<p>Currently, 100 members of Virgin Galactic\u2019s operations team is transitioning flight operations to Spaceport America in New Mexico from the company\u2019s test facility in Majave, California. From there, the team will complete the final stages of its flight test program before transitioning to commercial operations.<\/p>\n<h2>Launch Reusability Key to Lowering Spaceflight Costs<\/h2>\n<p>Blue Origin, the spaceflight company founded by Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos, is focusing on operational reusability to bring access to space to a broader population. The company\u2019s New Shepard spacecraft will leverage reusable vehicles and \u201cairline-like operational tempos to drive down costs,\u201d says Ariane Cornell, who oversees astronaut and orbital sales for Blue Origin.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe believe the best way to lower the costs of access to space is by developing operationally reusable launch vehicles,\u201d says Cornell. <\/p>\n<p>Currently, Blue Origin is completing preliminary design review for its New Glenn spacecraft and is moving rapidly toward qualifying their BE-4 engine, which will power both New Glenn and ULA\u2019s Vulcan. Blue Origin\u2019s 180,000 m2 complex on Florida\u2019s Space Coast will serve as the site for manufacturing, integration and operating New Glenn.  <\/p>\n<p>Describing the flight experience, Cornell says \u201cit\u2019s going to be incredible,\u201d with astronauts having an 11-minute flight to space inside the New Shepard capsule. Near the top of its flight, the capsule will separate from the booster and continue above the K\u00e1rm\u00e1n line, the internationally recognized boundary of space. Once the astronauts release their harnesses, the passengers will float in weightlessness and look out at the Earth \u201cthrough the largest windows in spaceflight history\u201d before the spacecraft descends to Earth under parachutes.<\/p>\n<h2>International Interest in Space Tourism<\/h2>\n<p>While the bulk of space tourism industry activities is centered in the United States, several countries are looking to tap into the market. Virgin Galactic has forged agreements with international partners in Italy and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to explore opportunities to fly from their spaceports and provide local access to the microgravity environment for their science, education and technology sectors.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe scientific community \u2014 both in the United States and abroad \u2014 is eager for routine and cost-effective access to space,\u201d Whitesides says.<\/p>\n<p>Innovate U.K.\u2019s recent \u201cRoutes to Market Report\u201d examined how seriously the United Kingdom (UK) is looking to capitalize on space tourism at a future spaceport. The report noted that the U.K. government has already offered up to $11.2 million (10 million euros) to incentivize the commercial spaceflight market but to date, only Virgin Galactic has emerged as the most likely contender to base part of its operation in Britain.  <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere is no reason why a U.K. spaceport couldn\u2019t become a high-profile tourist destination bolstered by its links to scientific research and engineering,\u201d the report states.<\/p>\n<p><script>var AIAD_fcd45f981d570e35cee941b23edc69c7_6a68467ed2f00;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_6a68467ed2f00 = googletag.defineSlot('\/987\/satellitetoday.com\/via-satellite-digital-issue-ads', [ [600, 300], [300, 250], [970, 250] ], 'div-gpt-ad-1774631144891- 0-6a68467ed2f01').defineSizeMapping(AIMAP_21fe3bcfb86a8660aba4e721ee9338f3).setCollapseEmptyDiv(true).addService(googletag.pubads());   });<\/script><script>googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1774631144891- 0-6a68467ed2f01'); });<\/script><\/p>\n<h2>The View Matters: A Balloon Ride to Near Space<\/h2>\n<p>In Spain, Zero 2 Infinity \u2014 founded in 2009 by aerospace engineer Jose Mariano Lopez-Urdiales \u2014 is looking at offering flights 36 kilometers up into the stratosphere using a balloon-borne pod and launcher.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn my experience talking to people who have been to space, it\u2019s the view that matters,\u201d he says. \u201cThat view consists of blue Earth, curved horizon and a black sky during the day \u2026 and you get all of that on a high-altitude balloon at a fraction of the risk, cost, and complexity compared with other means.\u201d  <\/p>\n<p>To date, Zero 2 Infinity has flown a half-scale vehicle successfully \u2014 when full size, it will accommodate two pilots and four passengers. For a cost of approximately $112,000 dollars (100,000 euros), passengers will take a two-hour flight to the stratosphere and remain above the atmosphere for two hours before returning to the ground. The company hopes to fly two pilots on a full-scale vehicle in the next year, pending successful funding. <\/p>\n<p>For tourist rocket launches to be profitable, the price will have to drop and that will only occur if the number of flights rises dramatically \u2014 something Lopez-Urdiales contends isn\u2019t likely anytime soon. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe frequency of flight required to sustain a space tourism business plan at prices below $50 million is not yet compatible with the reliability of rockets,\u201d he says, predicting that high-altitude ballooning space tourism outfitters will be established before rocket-based systems.<\/p>\n<h2>Staying in Style: A Luxury Hotel in Space?<\/h2>\n<p>Another company set to tap into the space tourism boom, Orion Span, plans to host four tourists and two crew members in the comfort of Aurora Station, a space \u201chotel\u201d habitat scheduled for deployment in late 2022 or early 2023, depending on the firm securing required funding this year.<\/p>\n<p>David Jarvis, co-founder and CTO, says his company has embraced a modular architecture, which will allow Orion Span to \u201cbuild space habitats of various sizes and purposes without having to start from scratch with each variant.\u201d He continues, in saying that \u201cwe identified a manufacturing solution that will not only reduce fabrication costs by up to 90 percent but also will accelerate manufacturing speed from years to months.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>His firm\u2019s space tourism strategy is based on the idea that the customer experience needs to be about much more than simply delivering them to a space station. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere is the human factors element, the psychological element \u2014 the ability to work in a team environment,\u201d Jarvis explains. <\/p>\n<p><script>var AIAD_fcd45f981d570e35cee941b23edc69c7_6a68467ed3549;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_6a68467ed3549 = googletag.defineSlot('\/987\/satellitetoday.com\/via-satellite-digital-issue-ads', [ [600, 300], [300, 250], [970, 250] ], 'div-gpt-ad-1774631144891- 0-6a68467ed354a').defineSizeMapping(AIMAP_21fe3bcfb86a8660aba4e721ee9338f3).setCollapseEmptyDiv(true).addService(googletag.pubads());   });<\/script><script>googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1774631144891- 0-6a68467ed354a'); });<\/script><\/p>\n<p>Taking its cue from NASA\u2019s preparation of astronauts to work in teams before they fly, Orion Span has streamlined a 24-month training program to three months broken up into modules. Trainers will focus on building mutual trust and respect among each group.  <\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe need to understand how our guests will behave, how they interact with each other, and what their personal limits are. Once they arrive on orbit \u2014 that camaraderie and trust will be crucial because they will truly be in a remote location,\u201d Jarvis says, adding that guests will travel with at least one professional flight crew, while a flight control team on the ground will help them \u201con every moment of their trip.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As timing for the first Earth-bound launches of space tourists grows near, the public, governments and the innovation sector continue to hold their collective breath. <\/p>\n<p>Many predict that once the first space tourism mission starts flying, it will spur a lot of activity.<\/p>\n<p>To Lopez-Urdiales, the world is currently in the second of three phases of space activity \u2014 the first began with government-sponsored programs like the Apollo program and continued to the present day, with space projects backed by billionaires. It\u2019s only in the third phase \u2014 when a broader base of entrepreneurs with cool ideas are funded and can compete for market share \u2014 will space tourism be sustainable, he says. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen that happens and the financial sector invests in not only the Musks of the world but also in folks like us, space tourism will truly take off,\u201d he concludes.<\/p>\n<h2>NASA Gets Serious about Spurring Private Sector LEO Investment  <\/h2>\n<p>With the aging ISS nearing end of life in the next eight years, NASA is not wasting time challenging private sector innovators to get into low Earth orbit in a big way.<\/p>\n<p>NASA announced the ability for private astronauts to visit the space station on U.S. commercial vehicles and for companies to engage in profit-making activities on the station. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe commercialization of LEO will enable NASA to focus resources to land the first woman and next man on the moon by 2024 in the first phase in creating a sustainable lunar presence to prepare for future missions to Mars,\u201d says NASA CFO Jeff DeWitt.<\/p>\n<p><script>var AIAD_fcd45f981d570e35cee941b23edc69c7_6a68467ed3b4d;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_6a68467ed3b4d = googletag.defineSlot('\/987\/satellitetoday.com\/via-satellite-digital-issue-ads', [ [600, 300], [300, 250], [970, 250] ], 'div-gpt-ad-1774631144891- 0-6a68467ed3b4e').defineSizeMapping(AIMAP_21fe3bcfb86a8660aba4e721ee9338f3).setCollapseEmptyDiv(true).addService(googletag.pubads());   });<\/script><script>googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1774631144891- 0-6a68467ed3b4e'); });<\/script><\/p>\n<p>The agency also released a new ISS commercial use policy \u2014 where NASA has opened up 5 percent of its annual allocation of crew resources and cargo capability for commercial use, and can for the first time include for-profit manufacturing and marketing. The new commercial use policy covers costs using station resources, life support systems, crew supplies, storage, power, and data.<\/p>\n<p>Robyn Gatens, deputy director of the ISS at the NASA headquarters, stated that NASA will support up to two short-duration private astronaut missions to the ISS each year starting as early as 2020. These missions will be privately funded, dedicated commercial space flights.<\/p>\n<p>NASA leaders made it clear that they are looking for creative solutions from the entrepreneurial sector to drive the emerging space economy, including overcoming very real technical hurdles that could stall market growth. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cA successful market will require a reduction in cost of transportation into LEO,\u201d Gatens says.<\/p>\n<p>NASA also announced that it would accept proposals from the private sector to use a docking port on the ISS, in response to findings from LEO commercialization studies that opening up a port would allow companies to accelerate development of viable habitats. Gatens says the agency plans to award the port by the end of the fiscal year.<\/p>\n<p>In the long-term, NASA\u2019s goal is to become one of many customers purchasing services from independent, commercial and free-flying habitable destinations in LEO. <\/p>\n<p>Currently, the agency pays between $3 to 4 billion a year to operate the ISS. Some 50 companies currently do business on the ISS, with most benefiting from NASA-subsidized rides to the station. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Hitching a ride to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) soon will no longer be the domain of elite trained astronauts \u2014 it will be within reach of wealthy private citizens as early as this year, if NASA and a host of early space firms realize their ambitions. With the likes of Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":62012,"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-62011","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\/62011"}],"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=62011"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62011\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/62012"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=62011"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=62011"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=62011"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}