Space travel is now more accessible than ever, with no training required.
What once seemed impossible has become a reality, that is if you have an extra $450,000 lying around.
What Is Space Tourism
Space tourism is human space travel for recreational purposes, meaning your next holiday could be in space!
One of the pioneering companies in this field is Virgin Galactic, which has already successfully completed its first commercial flight into space.
Fewer than 700 people have been into space, however, Virgin Atlantic is trying to change that.
Leaving the earth’s atmosphere will no longer be solely for professional astronauts.
Flights have been short so far, spanning around 90 minutes, where passengers will experience 5 minutes of weightlessness.
Virgin Galactic’s First Flight: Galactic 01
Virgin Galactic’s first commercial flight, dubbed the Galactic 01, was successfully completed on June 29th.
The Galactic 01 did not carry tourists but instead carried a crew of six that embarked on a scientific research mission.
The flight was suborbital, meaning it made it to the edge of space without entering orbit.
The spaceplane was launched from a carrier plane at an altitude of about 15km.
After which its engine ignited and was sent upwards to 80km above Earth.
Virgin Galactic’s Next Flight: Galactic 02
The Galactic 02 will be Virgin Galactic’s second commercial flight, this time flying three private passengers to space.
The flight is set for August 10th and will be live streamed on their official website.
Virgin Galactic aims to have monthly flights from now on, with around 800 backlogged bookings.
These Won’t Be The First Tourists In Space
Jeff Bezos’s company Blue Origin and Elon Musk’s SpaceX have previously sent civilians into space and reached higher altitudes than Virgin Galactic flights.
What sets Virgin Galactic apart is their ambitions for regular launches for tourists.
They aim to expand their flight schedule during the first years of operation.
This gives them an advantage in the space tourism industry.
What Does The Future Of Space Tourism Look Like
The demand for space tourism is greatly increasing giving it the potential to become one of the most lucrative industries in the world.
However, as of yet, space tourism is very costly and only a very small segment of the market is willing to cough up the cash for this experience.
Advances in space technologies will gradually lower this price making the experience more affordable.
Space tourism is still in its early stages and will require much more work and time before it becomes widely available.
Would you ever want to go to space? Let us know!
