Space Tourism: Are You Ready to Step into the Final Frontier?

The dream of traveling to space has long been the pursuit of enthusiasts and the ultra-rich.

Understanding the Landscape

Several companies claim to be on the cusp of launching space tourists into space. But if you had the money, would you take one of these trips? Let's explore the current landscape of space tourism and the companies behind it.

The Business of Space Tourism

The popular notion of space tourism is quite broad, spanning from suborbital flights to orbital journeys to space hotels. However, there are significant distinctions in how these companies plan to achieve their goals and whether they have the resources to deliver on their promises.

Suborbital Flights and Space Hotels

Currently, space tourism is still in its infancy, largely reserved for the very rich. The only place where individuals could previously travel to space was the International Space Station (ISS), but that required significant funds and partnership with Roscosmos via a private company.

Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic

The only two companies actively developing and testing hardware for space-tourism-specific suborbital flights are Blue Origin and The Spaceship Company with Virgin Galactic. Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket is nearing operational status with all testing completed. SpaceShipTwo, though delayed, is making progress after a 2014 crash that claimed a test pilot’s life. It may still operationalize before 2021.

Challenges and Red Flags

Some companies mentioned in articles have more ambitious ideas but lack the financial backing or experience to succeed. Critical red flags include crowdfunding campaigns, reliance on government partners, and lack of concrete plans with real investors.

Orion Span: This company has conceptualized a space hotel but has resorted to crowdfunding, which is concerning. Serious companies do not typically rely on such methods.

Space Adventures: While this company has booked a few trips with Roscosmos, its business model is highly dependent on the Russian space agency, making it unreliable and outdated for new space tourists.

Kosmokurs: This startup is still in the early stages, aiming to build its own rockets and spacecraft for suborbital flights. They are not expected to offer tickets anytime soon, and numerous failed private space ventures have shown the harsh reality of space tourism.

AxiomSpace: Based on actual hardware, Axiom hopes to privatize the ISS after 2024 by adding modules to form a new commercial space station. However, their plans are still in the early development phase with no confirmed private investors.

The Verdict

While the dream of space tourism is exciting, the reality is that only a select few companies have concrete plans and the resources to deliver. For now, your trip to space will likely depend on private investment or being one of the ultra-rich.

Stay tuned as the space tourism industry continues to evolve, and keep your fingers crossed for the successful realization of these ambitious plans.