The World’s Most Luxurious Travel Experience: Space Tourism with a Cost of Over $55 Million Per Person
Today, only a handful of people worldwide have had the opportunity to experience space tourism. The cost of a trip to space can reach up to $55 million per person.
As earthly travels no longer satisfy the ultra-wealthy, space tourism has emerged as the ultimate luxury trend. Now, the childhood dream of becoming an astronaut can be realized without the rigorous NASA training—all you need is a lot of money.
Spending an astronomical sum to experience life beyond Earth has become a way for the super-rich to flaunt their immense wealth. These individuals can gaze at Earth from space and enjoy sensations that only a select few have ever felt.
In 2021, Jeff Bezos, the world’s richest man and founder of Amazon, embarked on a recreational space journey aboard his New Shepard rocket. Accompanying him on the 11-minute suborbital flight were his brother Mark Bezos, pilot Wally Funk (the oldest woman to go to space), and 18-year-old Oliver Daemen (the youngest person to go to space).
Bezos’ space travel company, Blue Origin, offers a few minutes of weightlessness for $300,000. The first seat on New Shepard was auctioned off for $28 million. Even William Shatner, the famous Captain Kirk, took a trip to the edge of space.
Another billionaire offering space travel is Sir Richard Branson of the Virgin Group. Branson made his first space journey in 2021, just two weeks before Bezos.
Elon Musk also has plans for moon trips and an ambitious project to send 100 people to Mars aboard SpaceX spacecraft. SpaceX has been conducting cargo missions to the International Space Station (ISS) since 2012 and human missions since 2020.
Russia has been hosting tourists at the ISS since 2001. American businessman Dennis Tito was the first paying astronaut; he paid Russia $20 million for a week-long trip to the ISS on a Soyuz spacecraft. In 2022, Tito signed up for another space adventure, this time to the moon with SpaceX.
NASA is now also offering space travel experiences, selling the most expensive tickets ever. In 2022, three entrepreneurs paid $55 million each to hire a SpaceX rocket for a 10-day space journey. In May, another group of billionaires spent over a week at the ISS.
A real space hotel is no longer just science fiction. The first space hotel is expected to open in 2025.
Here are some space tourism options you can consider:
- World View: Balloon flights to space, expected to launch in 2024. Flight duration is 6-12 hours, with tickets starting at $73,000 per person.
- Space Perspective: These luxurious flights are also expected to launch in 2024, with prices around $182,000 per person.
- Virgin Galactic: Expected to launch in 2023, offering 90-minute flights. Tickets are priced at $450,000 per person.
- Blue Origin: This tour will take you to the edge of space for 10 minutes. Flights are available, but ticket prices are not publicly disclosed. According to The New York Times, ticket sales have generated nearly $100 million in revenue, but the number of tickets sold remains unknown.
- SpaceX: This tour offers an authentic astronaut experience, with nearly a week-long stay at the International Space Station (ISS). Tickets are priced at $55 million.
However, any space journey, whether a few minutes in suborbital flight or several days conducting astronaut-like tests, carries risks. Ram Jakhu, Director of Air and Space Law at McGill University, told Business Insider: “There aren’t many regulations for this type of space tourism, and those who purchase tickets for this luxurious experience are part of an experiment in sending humans to space.”
