Private Space Travel is Closer to Becoming Reality

Could Traveling to Outer Space be the Next Big Vacation Concept?

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to travel to space? The thrill of seeing Earth from orbit, the sensation of weightlessness, and the awe of floating beyond gravity—all are experiences that space tourism companies are working hard to make accessible. In the next few years, private space travel will no longer be reserved for astronauts. Instead, civilian space travel is becoming a real possibility. Companies like Space Adventures, which has already facilitated spaceflights from Russia, have now partnered with SpaceX to launch the future of commercial space tourism. While final details are still in progress, the race to make travel to space a reality for non-astronauts is already underway.

Why SpaceX Is Leading the Space Tourism Race

If you haven’t heard of SpaceX tourism, you’re not alone—but that’s quickly changing. SpaceX is a private space exploration company led by Elon Musk, also the CEO of Tesla. As a front-runner in the push for civilian spaceflight, SpaceX is competing with companies like Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic, both of which are racing to make commercial space travel a mainstream reality.

Blue Origin, founded by Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, and Virgin Galactic, founded by Richard Branson of the Virgin Group, have been pursuing space tourism since NASA retired its space shuttle program. But SpaceX has taken a clear lead by achieving several high-profile milestones, including the successful launch of the Falcon Heavy rocket and a NASA partnership to transport astronauts to the International Space Station through its Crew Dragon spacecraft.

Although the Crew Dragon launch has faced delays, it’s still expected to proceed. More notably, SpaceX had planned to send two private passengers on a space tourism flight around the moon as early as 2018. While setbacks postponed that mission, one of the individuals is still expected to fly—this time aboard a new spacecraft still in development. Beyond lunar missions, SpaceX is also preparing private space travel experiences that will orbit Earth, offering passengers a rare and breathtaking perspective of the planet from orbit.

How Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin Compare to SpaceX

Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin are planning to provide similar space tourism trips to outer space, but on a slightly different scale. The trips are expected to be much shorter and also a bit more affordable. They would essentially take you into suborbital space, giving you a chance to feel the effects away from gravity, as well as a look at the earth from outer space, before transcending back down to earth. These shorter commercial space travel trips are still expected to cost several hundred thousand dollars. 

Timeline: When Will Tourists Actually Go to Space?

There is much that is still unknown about tourism in space, as the industry is just beginning. Here are a few things that we are expecting though. For starters, the big bulky space-suits that you have seen in the movies, those wont be necessary. Instead, technology has allowed for a much slimmer suit that is still flame resistant, cooled and pressurized as the original models were.

The spacecraft are also expected to have an emphasis on windows, through size and/or quantity. After all, you are on a trip to explore space, the more of it that you can see, the better the bang for your buck. The interiors are also expected to be minimally furnished, allowing for a focus on the safety and durability of the craft, not the aesthetics.

This is said to include mounted chairs that the suits will lock into for takeoff and landing, as well as touchscreens for interactive displays and information. The idea of touring outer space is becoming closer to a reality each day. Unfortunately, it seems like it is still quite a ways off for anybody who doesn't have a few hundred thousand dollars lying around for vacation expenses.

As the process becomes streamlined though, shuttle sizes will increase, costs will decrease and this may be no more expensive than taking a cruise at some point. Until then, we can just look forward to new breakthroughs in space exploration and stories brought to us by those fortunate enough to experience it. 

Frequently Asked Questons-FAQs

1.How much does it cost to go to space as a tourist?
Space tourism tickets currently range from $250,000 to over $55 million depending on the mission, spacecraft, and duration.

2.When will civilians be able to go to space?
Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin have already flown civilian passengers, and more regular flights are expected between 2024 and 2026.

3. Is space tourism safe?
While companies are taking extensive safety precautions, space travel still involves risk. All missions are vetted and reviewed by aerospace authorities.

4.Which companies are leading the way in space tourism?
SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Virgin Galactic are the top private companies offering or planning space travel for civilians.

5. Will space travel ever be affordable for the average person?
As technology advances and competition increases, prices are expected to drop — possibly reaching commercial airline levels in future decades.