For many people, space travel has long been a pipe fantasy, but recently, it has started to materialize more and more. Space tourism programs that will enable civilian space travel are being developed by private firms like SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Virgin Galactic. In this blog post, we’ll examine the most recent space tourism developments and space news, as well as the goals and strategies of private space businesses.
Virgin Galactic
One of the most well-known companies in the space tourism sector, Virgin Galactic has made major strides toward launching commercial space flights. The company’s SpaceShipTwo successfully completed its first suborbital test mission in December 2018, ascending to a height of 51 miles above the planet’s surface. They have tested their spacecraft ever since, with the most recent successful test mission taking place in February 2019. Tickets for Virgin Galactic’s commercial trips will cost about $250,000 when they launch in 2022.
Blue Origin
Jeff Bezos, the CEO of Amazon, created Blue Origin, a space company that is also developing space tourism initiatives. The business debuted its suborbital spacecraft, the New Shepard, in 2015. Since then, it has successfully completed test flights. Blue Origin stated in May 2019 that it would start selling tickets for suborbital space flights, though the costs have not yet been released. A start date for the company’s space tourism program is still to come.
SpaceX
Elon Musk created SpaceX, which is perhaps best known for its collaboration with NASA and its ability to send payloads into orbit. With a project called SpaceX Starship, the firm has also made plans for space tourism. Though still under construction, the Starship spacecraft is meant to be used for both crewed and uncrewed missions, including space tourism. A start date for the company’s space tourism program is still to come.
Other Space Tourism Programs
Several other space tourism initiatives are currently under development in addition to the businesses previously listed. For instance, Space Adventures has been providing space tourism trips since 2001, bringing travelers to the International Space Station on Russian spacecraft. The business intends to use SpaceX’s Starship spacecraft to conduct a private mission around the Moon in 2022.
Axiom Space, another business, is creating a plan to enable visitors to the International Space Station. The company anticipates launching its first crewed mission to the ISS in 2022, followed by subsequent crewed missions. Axiom Space has also made plans to construct its own space station, which would be utilized for both scientific study and tourism.
Conclusion
Due to the efforts of private space businesses, space tourism is now more than just a pipe dream. It is obvious that there is a demand for civilian space flight because organisations like Virgin Galactic, Blue Origin, and SpaceX are all working on space tourism initiatives. Although most people may not be able to afford these journeys, it is exciting to consider that space tourism may one day become more affordable. We can anticipate a time when space travel is not restricted to astronauts as these businesses continue to advance.
