How you can score a ticket to space, expert explains
The world is entering a new era in the field of space travel. Like the Golden Age of Flight, there is now the Golden Age of Commercial Space Travel, which resembles the early days of the booming aviation industry, when only the wealthy and a select few others got a taste of air travel.
If space travel sounds intriguing, it's going to cost you more than an average median house in the United States, which currently sits at $374,900, according to a 2021 report. Depending on where you shop, prices for a ticket to space can reportedly range from $125,000 to $55 million.
Space Coast Office of Tourism Executive Director Peter Cranes predicts space will be more affordable in five to ten years.
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"The cost will certainly drop dramatically over the next ten years. I think it will be in the hundreds of thousands and maybe eventually the tens of thousands. Now, will the average person be able to put $50,000 down on a ticket? Probably not, but I'm guessing there will be finance options similar to cruises," Cranes said.
Astronaut Michael López-Alegría is gearing up to lead Axiom Mission 1 in Feb. 2022. The commander of the Ax-1 mission will head to the International Space Station with three investors who paid $55 million each to ride onboard.
Commander Michael López-Alegría has spent more time spacewalking than any American, so it's only fitting he has a couple of tips for anyone who wants to travel to space.
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"You need to kind of just take a step back and look around and, you know, just appreciate the amazing environment you're in. So that's my advice is, you know, work hard and prepare, but when the time comes, like really smell the roses when you can," López-Alegría said.
Places you can or will be able to buy a ticket to space:
1. Virgin Galactic
Location: Spaceport America, New Mexico
Virgin Galactic revealed the company is targeting 1,000 reservations before launching a private astronaut commercial service. In a third-quarter report for 2021, the company said approximately 700 of these 1,000 reservations had been sold to date. A Virgin Galactic ticket will take you to the edge of space.
"It's a pivotal time for the Company as we transition from a prototyping space innovator to the global, scaled, commercial operation we are becoming," Michael Colglazier, Chief Executive Officer of Virgin Galactic.
Pricing currently starts at $450,000 per seat.
The Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo space plane Unity returns to earth after the mothership separated at Spaceport America, near Truth and Consequences, New Mexico on July 11, 2021. (Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)
2. Space Perspective
Location: Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
Unfortunately, seats for the 2024 spaceflights have sold out. Over 500 seats have been reserved. You can still embark on a six-hour trip to gaze at the stars and the moon by purchasing a ticket for 2025 and beyond.
"Space for Humanity is cultivating a movement to expand access to space for all of humanity, and this partnership represents a big leap in making that happen, " said Dylan Taylor, Founder of Space for Humanity and CEO of Voyager Space Holdings.
The price for a ticket is estimated to be $125,000 per explorer.
3. Axiom Space
Location: Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
You can become a private astronaut by booking your flight with Axiom. People who travel with Axiom will undergo NASA-level training. Unlike the other commercial companies, customers will have the chance to focus on research, outreach, or exploration.
4. Blue Origin
Location: Van Horn, Texas
New Shepard is Blue Origin's reusable suborbital rocket system designed to launch astronauts into space for 11 minutes. If you select Blue Origin, you will travel over three times the speed of sound, float weightless for several minutes, and then descend under parachutes.
Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos said the company had sold over $100 million in private sales for future tourist flights.
VAN HORN, TEXAS - JULY 20: (----EDITORIAL USE ONLY â MANDATORY CREDIT - "BLUE ORIGIN / HANDOUT" - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS----) The New Shepard Blue Origin rocket prepares to lift-off from the launch
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