space tourism activities

Leisure travel might be a little more exciting for the world’s wealthiest adventure seekers as space, long the exclusive domain of professional astronauts, is now accessible to tourists. In July 2021, Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin each successfully launched suborbital tourism programs from their spaceports in New Mexico and Texas, respectively (with Blue Origin completing its second launch in October 2021). In September 2021, SpaceX’s Inspiration4 mission kicked off the company’s orbital tourism program from the Kennedy Space Center’s historic Launch Complex 39A. Each of these companies hope to make space a popular destination by offering regular launch services to private citizens. Aspiring space tourists can expect to pay upwards of $250,000 for a seat on suborbital spacecrafts and an estimated $50 million for a ticket to orbit. Space enthusiasts on a budget can tour Spaceport America, where Virgin Galactic launches to space, for $50 or less.

These historic spaceflights  represent the most recent chapter in a longer history of space tourism. More than 20 years ago, Dennis Tito, the first “space tourist” (also known as “spaceflight participant”), flew to the International Space Station aboard a Soyuz spacecraft for a six-day stay. Tito donated the Sokol pressure suit he wore in space to the Museum in 2003. Since his flight, only six other individuals scored self-funded travel to space (one of these intrepid travelers flew twice). Space Adventures, a US-based travel agency to the stars, facilitated these multi-million dollar, out-of-this-world experiences in partnership with the Russian space agency, Roscosmos.

Dennis Tito wore this suit when he launched to the International Space Station on April 28, 2001. (Smithsonian Institution)

Although space itself remained inaccessible to private citizens until the 21st century, other places where Earth and space meet—such as National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) centers—have long been popular destinations for a different kind of space tourist.

The Space Age dawned in the golden age of the family road trip. Thanks to the proliferation of private automobile ownership, an expanding interstate highway system, and the advent of more generous vacation policies in the workplace, Americans ventured from home in greater numbers in the 1960s than at any earlier time in the nation’s history. Millions of these travelers included on their itineraries NASA centers, particularly those with ties to the human spaceflight program: the George C. Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama; the John F. Kennedy Space Center in Brevard County, Florida; and the Manned Spacecraft Center (known since 1973 as the Johnson Space Center) in Houston, Texas.

NASA centers were not prepared for the tourists who appeared en masse outside their gates. In the early 1960s, the centers operated much like—and were often physically adjacent to—secure military installations. For reasons of national security, the centers restricted access to official visitors only. In response to curious onlookers, the centers developed ad hoc visitor programs. At the same time, proactive civic leaders and enterprising business-people responded to the presence of space center tourists by developing their own space-themed attractions, including museums, halls of fame, and amusement parks, and amenities, such as motels, hotels, and restaurants.

At the Kennedy Space Center, for example, public affairs officers facilitated increasing access to NASA’s launch complex between 1964 and 1967. Their efforts began while the spaceport was under construction with a modest roadside trailer featuring wall-mounted exhibitions. They soon expanded visitor programming to include self-guided driving tours on weekends and holidays during breaks in construction activity. In 1966, the space center partnered with Trans World Airlines (TWA) to operate an escorted bus tour program.

Trans World Airlines (TWA) operated the bus tour program at the Kennedy Space Center in the 1960s. (NASA/KSC Spaceport News)

The following year, the Visitor Information Center opened to the public. It featured indoor exhibition and presentation facilities, an outdoor “rocket garden” that became a popular backdrop for family photos, and a depot for the bus tour program. The architect included all the amenities a traveler might need, such as restrooms, food concessions, a gift shop, and a pay phone, which is now on display at our Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. Shaped like a Mercury capsule, the pay phone was painted in a playful tropical teal color, which was en vogue at other Florida attractions at the time. Since 1967, the Visitor Information Center has continued to evolve and expand, reflecting developments in spaceflight and the evolving expectations of 21st century vacationers. Some 1.5 million people visit annually.

This phonebooth was installed at the Visitor Information Center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center during the 1960s. (Smithsonian Institution)

Whether venturing to space, visiting a spaceport, or engaging in space-related recreation, individuals and families are likely to continue the tradition of incorporating space activities as part of their leisure time. As we enter the next chapter in the history of space tourism, questions about the significance of these experiences endure: What do “space tourists” hope to gain from their encounter with space or space sites? What does their choice of vacation destination say about their individual identities and the cultural significance of space? Who has access to these experiences and who is left out? And how will space tourism reshape communities on Earth as the industry evolves?

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The Private Companies Pioneering the (New) Space Race

It’s a brave new world for space travel..

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Three companies—Blue Origin, Virgin Galactic, and SpaceX—are blazing their own separate paths into space tourism.

Courtesy of Blue Origin

Space travel is all extremes. The prices are high—the cheapest trips cost as much as the average home in the United States—and the minutes spent floating weightlessly, gaping at Earth’s thin blue line, can be few. But more and more people are venturing into space, and the business is booming.

Three space barons— Jeff Bezos , Richard Branson , and Elon Musk —are at the fore of the space travel industry. So far, their passengers represent a narrow slice of humanity: celebrities like Star Trek ’s William Shatner or uber-rich businesspeople like Jared Isaacman , who made his fortune on a payment-processing firm he started as a teenager. The days of sipping electric-blue cocktails on sleek space stations aren’t here for the masses just yet, but for those with the dream (and cash) for a jaunt to the nearest reaches of space, look to these companies.

Bezos founded Blue Origin in 2000 with the intention of making space travel cheaper, more accessible, and frequent.

Blue Origin

Prep: Two days of training include touring the New Shepard rocket, experiencing launch simulations, and learning to conduct oneself in zero gravity (no re-enacting scenes from The Matrix ).

Price: Bezos has kept the cost for rides under wraps. In an auction for its first crewed flight in July 2021, the winning bid was $28 million for a single rider.

Founded in 2000 by Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, Blue Origin launches travelers on 11-minute excursions. Previous passengers include William Shatner, who was profoundly moved by the experience and marveled at the tenuous boundary between Earth and space. “This air which is keeping us alive is thinner than your skin,” he told Bezos. “It would be so important for everybody to have that experience.”

The reusable New Shepard rocket takes travelers 62 miles above Earth. That’s just above the Kármán line—a theoretical boundary considered the start of space by the leading international aeronautical organization, the Féderátion Aéronautique Internationale , since the atmosphere there is too thin to support airplanes.

At the peak of the flight, passengers enjoy a few minutes of floating weightlessly while peering out their own windows (nearly 43 by 29 inches, the biggest on the market) before the capsule glides back down to the desert.

Virgin Galactic is considered to be one of the front runners in the space race after it flew one of its space planes in the outer atmosphere in 2018.

Photo by Mark Greenberg/Virgin Galactic

Virgin Galactic

Prep: A year of preparation culminates in several days of bonding and collaborating as a passenger team “to create a group that is fully equipped to enjoy themselves during spaceflight.” Passengers are also fitted for bespoke Under Armour space suits and boots.

Price: $450,000

British entrepreneur Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic offers an experience on its SpaceShipTwo suborbital spaceplane, which can function in Earth’s atmosphere and outer space. As with any flight, the journey starts on a runway. The spaceplane piggybacks on another plane to 50,000 feet before the rocket ignites and the craft ascends.

The 90-minute flight peaks at 53 miles: well below the Kármán line, but past the 50-mile-mark that NASA and the Federal Aviation Administration consider the start of space. (Initially, the SpaceShipTwo was intended to fly above the 62-mile-mark, but trouble with the motor design resulted in a model that isn’t powerful enough to go that high.) Passengers enjoy four weightless minutes before re-entering the lower atmosphere and gliding back down the runway.

Virgin Galactic highlights the “ overview effect ” as a perk of its cosmic services: the cognitive transformation often sparked by viewing Earth against the void of space. Many astronauts report intense emotion as the unique perspective reveals the fragility and connectedness of life on Earth. In 2019, Beth Moses , Virgin Galactic’s Chief Astronaut Officer, became the first woman to fly to space on a commercial vehicle. In July 2021, she made a second trip aboard the same vessel.

In 2021, SpaceX flew the space tourism industry’s first all-civilian crew into space.

Courtesy of SpaceX

Prep: To prepare for a three-day trip in orbit, one crew underwent six months of centrifuge spins and fighter jet flights, launch and re-entry rehearsals, and even climbed snowy Mount Rainier for team bonding.

Price: A reported $55 million

Led by tech magnate Elon Musk, SpaceX boasts the only tours into orbit. And they are much more exclusive. As of July 2022, only eight civilians—lucky individuals, wealthy businesspeople, and a retired astronaut among them—have orbited Earth with SpaceX, circling the planet every 90 minutes. For these tours, the company uses the same rocket, Falcon 9 , and gumdrop-shaped spacecraft, the Dragon , to shuttle NASA astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS). Astronauts have said SpaceX’s ride brings longer, rougher g-forces, with the rocket thrusting about 4.5 times Earth’s gravity onto passengers.

The company has sent civilians on a three-day spin around Earth, while a handful of business executives had a two-week stay on the International Space Station (the latter trip was chartered by the company Axiom Space). In 2023, SpaceX will send Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa on a trip around the moon.

On their orbiting stint in the 13-foot-wide Dragon , 357 miles above Earth, a four-person crew shared a toilet, took no showers, and slept buckled into the same seats they rode during launch. They ate cold meals of pizza, sandwiches, and bolognese. On the ISS trip, three civilians and their captain—a former astronaut—ate NASA’s freeze-dried meals. During their stay, which was extended due to bad weather for landing, the crew performed a variety of science experiments, like a regenerative medicine study for the Mayo Clinic on cardiac cells. Both journeys ended with a splash into the Atlantic Ocean.

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• Space Travel + Astronomy

Space Tourism Is Here: Booking a Trip to the Final Frontier

The next era of space exploration and innovation is here — and we're all invited. A billionaire space race is underway as Blue Origin, Virgin Galactic, SpaceX, and others are testing the technology to take us to places previously visited only by highly trained astronauts. Space tourism is officially taking flight, and it might just save the Earth.

In July 2021, we watched as Richard Branson and Jeff Bezos took to the skies in a giant leap for the space tourism industry, but their launches to the edge of space weren't timed particularly well. Against the backdrop of a global pandemic and climate emergency, two billionaires taking joy rides to space may not have been good optics, but don't underestimate what just happened — and how important it could be for the future of humanity.

With the first crewed launches of Virgin Galactic's supersonic space plane and Blue Origin's reusable rocket, a world of commercial space travel is taking its first step. Both companies plan to begin regular, scheduled trips for paying space tourists in the near future, but their visions stretch back many years to the beginning of human spaceflight.

The Space Race: Then and Now

Bezos's Blue Origin chose an auspicious day to send its first crew to space. July 20, 2021 was exactly 52 years after Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to walk on the moon. But that wasn't the only major space travel anniversary celebrated in 2021.

April 12 was the 60th anniversary of Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin becoming the first human to not only reach space, but also go into orbit around Earth. Meanwhile, May 5 saw the 60th anniversary of NASA's Freedom 7 mission, which launched Alan Shepard on a suborbital flight that lasted 15 minutes. He reached an altitude of 101 miles to become the first American in space before his capsule parachuted to splashdown in the ocean.

The name of Blue Origin's New Shepard launch system is no coincidence. Its mission profile is almost identical to America's inaugural 1961 spaceflight, save for billionaire-grade comfy seats and large windows. From Launch Site One near Van Horn in the West Texas desert, that rocket fires a capsule containing up to six people (but no pilot) into space, which then parachutes down 15 minutes later.

The Virgin Galactic experience is different. Its supersonic rocket-powered spaceplane SpaceShipTwo VSS Unity seats six passengers and two highly trained pilots. It takes off on a runway from Spaceport America near Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, while strapped to a mothership. At 52,000 feet, it detaches and burns its rocket engine for one minute to reach Mach 3 speeds and touch the edge of space. After a few minutes of weightlessness (and a chance for passengers to see the curvature of Earth against the blackness of space), it glides back to land on a runway.

The Price for a Ticket to Space

These short trips are anticipated to cost between $250,000 and $500,000, but in January 2022, expect to see a truly out-of-this-world private trip to space with an even more astronomical price tag. It will come from the other, arguably much more important billionaire in the space tourism bubble: Elon Musk. Axiom Mission 1 will see his company, SpaceX, launch four private astronauts on behalf of Houston-based space tourism company Axiom Space. An American real estate investor, a Canadian investor, a former Israeli Air Force pilot, and an ex-Space Shuttle pilot will launch on an incredible orbital mission in its Crew Dragon spacecraft.

At $55 million per ticket, this is ultra-aspirational space tourism of the highest order. "The experience is drastically different because they will be launching on a SpaceX rocket and going to the International Space Station (ISS) for 10 days," says Christina Korp, cofounder of Space for a Better World . "They will be doing what real astronauts do, and I don't think it's an accident that Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin did their flights before Axiom's mission." Axiom Space intends to launch a private space station — the first "space hotel" — as early as 2024 to give space tourists somewhere to visit.

The Future of Space Tourism — and of Our Planet

Musk talks of Mars colonies and humanity spreading out into the cosmos, but since 2012, SpaceX has made a lot of money from NASA contracts to launch supplies to the ISS. In the summer of 2020, it began ferrying NASA astronauts there, too. SpaceX's Starship — currently being tested — will land two NASA astronauts, the first woman and the next man, on the moon in 2024.

You see, space tourism is just a sideshow to a bigger and more worthy goal of saving the planet. Next year, Blue Origin plans to test its reusable New Glenn rocket — named after John Glenn, the first American to orbit the Earth in 1962 — which will be able to take cargo and astronauts into orbit. Bezos has said he thinks we need to go to space to save Earth, specifically by protecting the planet from pollution by moving heavy industry into space. That can only happen when space travel is safe, scheduled, and affordable. Space tourism will help create a competitive space economy, just as mass tourism has lowered the cost of flying.

Similarly, Branson's aim is to increase access to space. "We are at the vanguard of a new space age…Our mission is to make space more accessible to all," he said after his inaugural flight. A microgravity experiment was on board that first flight on July 11, with similar plans for all subsequent trips. Meanwhile, sister company Virgin Orbit's LauncherOne sends small satellites and science payloads into orbit via a small rocket launch from underneath the wing of a Boeing 747.

The scientific spin-offs for all of us down on Earth are currently unknown, but the space community has an incredible track record when it comes to innovation. "Clean energy as solar power is from the space program," says Korp. "Solar panels were invented to power satellites and refined to power spacecraft." Cue GPS, weather forecasting, telecommunications, and even internet access. There are also fleets of satellites large and small that observe how our planet is behaving and changing. "It's the space industry that's monitoring climate change, tracking hurricanes, and learning how to survive in the extreme environment of space — including experiments to grow food with almost no water, for example," says Korp. Every single space mission, including suborbital and even zero-gravity flights, have environmental experiments on board as default.

"This is not about escaping Earth," said Bezos after the flight. "The whole point is, this is the only good planet in the solar system and we have to take care of it." Bezos wants to scale up into affordable space travel. That will enable long-term, commercial projects that ultimately may help prevent further climate change, or at least help us cope with its consequences.

However, Blue Origin, Virgin Galactic, and SpaceX won't be the only way to reach space. Russian space agency Roscosmos is expected to take "citizen space explorers" to the ISS soon, but the most affordable way to get "black sky time" may be with Space Perspective , which will launch a pressurized capsule propelled by a high-performance space balloon.

The six-hour flight will cost around $125,000 per person and launch from Space Coast Spaceport in Florida in 2024. "Unlike short-lived, adrenaline-fueled moments of weightlessness, Space Perspective flights bring you space calm," says Jane Poynter, founder, co-CEO, and CXO of Space Perspective. The flights on Spaceship Neptune involve a gentle ascent at just 12 miles per hour for a six-hour tour of Earth's biosphere, culminating in a view of our beautiful planet from space.

Space tourism is here at last. Instagram had better get ready for "Earth selfies."

Program Credits

Editorial Lead: Elizabeth Rhodes Contributors: Jamie Carter and Stefanie Waldek Visuals Editor: Mariah Tyler Art Director: Jenna Brillhart Designer: Sarah Maiden

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Want to be a space tourist? Here are 6 things to consider first

The industry of space tourism could exist in the future. Image:  Unsplash/NASA

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Stay up to date:.

• In July 2021, entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos went up into space, accompanied by fellow passengers.
• These trips created vast amounts of media coverage and brand recognition for Branson’s Virgin Galactic and Bezos’ Blue Origin.
• This could indicate that a commercial space tourism industry is on the horizon.
• Before space trips become commercially available, important factors such as environmental and safety laws need to be considered.

It’s been a momentous month for space-faring billionaires. On July 11, British entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson’s Unity “rocket-plane” flew him and five fellow passengers about 85 kilometres above Earth. And this week, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ New Shepard capsule reached an altitude of 106km , carrying Bezos, his brother, and the oldest and youngest people ever to reach such a height. Passengers on both flights experienced several minutes of weightlessness and took in breathtaking views of our beautiful and fragile Earth.

Both flights created an avalanche of media coverage and brand recognition for Branson’s Virgin Galactic and Bezos’s Blue Origin. There is renewed anticipation of a lucrative commercial space tourism industry that could eventually see thousands of paying passengers journey into space (or not quite into space, depending on your preferred level of pedantry).

This year marks 60 years since Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space. Since then, almost 600 trained astronauts have gone into outer space, but very few people have become space tourists.

The first, US engineer Dennis Tito, paid a reported US$20 million to spend six days orbiting Earth in the Russian section of the International Space Station in April 2001, after three months’ training at Russia’s Star City complex. He was followed by a handful of other very wealthy “orbital tourists”, most recently Cirque de Soleil founder Guy Laliberté in 2009, whose ticket reportedly cost US$35 million.

Unlike their predecessors, Branson’s and Bezos’ flights were suborbital – they didn’t reach the velocity needed to orbit Earth. Bezos’s entire flight lasted just over 10 minutes. Suborbital flights are much less technically complex, and in theory cheaper (although one seat on the New Shepard flight was auctioned for US$28 million ).

While they might quibble over billionaire bragging rights, there’s no denying that suborbital “space” flights have the potential to be less eye-wateringly expensive than going into orbital outer space and beyond.

But before you sign up – assuming you’re lucky enough to afford it – here are a few things to consider.

Where does space start, anyway?

Have you read, how many space launches does it take to have a serious climate impact, from space squid to saliva: what's inside nasa's cargo missions and why, the big space clean-up - and why it matters.

Despite assertions to the contrary , there is no legal definition of “outer space”, and thus no official boundary where airspace ends and outer space begins. In the past, the International Aeronautical Federation has looked to the von Karman line , but this does not coincide with the boundary of any of the atmosphere’s scientifically defined layers, and the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space , which deals with such issues, has not yet resolved the question.

Conveniently for Branson, 80km has been proposed by some experts as an appropriate boundary.

Outer space is undeniably influenced by Earthly geopolitics. Essentially, the larger space-faring countries see no need to legally define a boundary that would clearly demarcate the upper limits of their sovereignty.

Will you be an ‘astronaut’?

The 1967 UN Outer Space Treaty designates astronauts as “envoys of (hu)mankind in outer space”. Certainly, that seemed to be the case as the world watched the historic Apollo 11 Moon landing and prayed for a safe return of the stricken Apollo 13 capsule. However, the 1968 UN Rescue Agreement refers to “personnel of a spacecraft”, which may imply not everyone on board should be considered a fully fledged astronaut.

Of course, these legal niceties won’t deter space tourism companies from awarding “astronaut wings” to their passengers.

What laws apply when things go wrong?

The 1986 Challenger and 2003 Columbia shuttle disasters are stark reminders of the dangers of space travel. Human space travel has always involved determining acceptable levels of risk for trained astronauts. But commercial space tourism is different to state-sponsored space programs, and will need the highest possible safety standards.

Commercial space travel will also require a system of responsibility and liability, for cases in which a space tourist suffers injury, loss or damage.

Space tourists (or their families) can’t claim for compensation under the 1972 UN Liability Convention which, in terms of space, applies only to collisions between space objects such as satellites and space debris. While there may be scope to take legal action under national laws, it is likely space tourists will be asked to sign carefully worded waivers of liability.

The same is probably true of international air law , which applies to “aircraft” — a designation space tourism operators will understandably be keen to avoid.

Ultimately, we may need to develop a system of “aerospace law” to govern these suborbital flights as well as “transorbital” transport such as the keenly envisaged flights that might one day take passengers from Sydney to London in just a few hours.

What activities should be allowed in space?

The advent of space tourism will give rise to some interesting ethical questions. Should there be advertising billboards in space? What about casinos, or brothels? On what legal basis should these things be restricted?

How does tourism fit with the underlying philosophy of space law: that the exploration and use of outer space “shall be carried out for the benefit and in the interests of all countries”?

Will space tourism harm the environment?

Space tourism will inevitably put pressure on Earth’s environment – there are claims that space vehicles may one day become the world’s biggest source of carbon dioxide emissions. We will need to manage space traffic carefully to avoid disastrous collisions and steer clear of space debris .

If tourists go to the Moon, they may cause pollution or damage the heritage of earlier exploration, such as Neil Armstrong’s footprints .

Will tourism workers have to live in space?

If space tourism does become truly widespread, it will need infrastructure and perhaps even staff. People may end up living permanently in space settlements, perhaps having children who will be born as “space citizens”. What legal rights would someone have if they were born at a Moon base? Would they be subject to terrestrial laws, or some version of current international legal rules for outer space?

The World Economic Forum was the first to draw the world’s attention to the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the current period of unprecedented change driven by rapid technological advances. Policies, norms and regulations have not been able to keep up with the pace of innovation, creating a growing need to fill this gap.

The Forum established the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution Network in 2017 to ensure that new and emerging technologies will help—not harm—humanity in the future. Headquartered in San Francisco, the network launched centres in China, India and Japan in 2018 and is rapidly establishing locally-run Affiliate Centres in many countries around the world.

The global network is working closely with partners from government, business, academia and civil society to co-design and pilot agile frameworks for governing new and emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI) , autonomous vehicles , blockchain , data policy , digital trade , drones , internet of things (IoT) , precision medicine and environmental innovations .

Learn more about the groundbreaking work that the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution Network is doing to prepare us for the future.

Want to help us shape the Fourth Industrial Revolution? Contact us to find out how you can become a member or partner.

These are obviously questions for the future. But given the excitement generated by the brief journeys of a couple of wealthy entrepreneurs, we should start contemplating them now. Outer space is the new frontier, but it is not — and must not — be a lawless one.

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Space Tourism: Can A Civilian Go To Space?

2021 has been a busy year for private space tourism: overall, more than 15 civilians took a trip to space during this year. In this article, you will learn more about the space tourism industry, its history, and the companies that are most likely to make you a space tourist.

What is space tourism?

Brief history of space tourism, space tourism companies, orbital and suborbital space flights, how much does it cost for a person to go to space, is space tourism worth it, can i become a space tourist, why is space tourism bad for the environment.

Space tourism is human space travel for recreational or leisure purposes . It’s divided into different types, including orbital, suborbital, and lunar space tourism.

However, there are broader definitions for space tourism. According to the Space Tourism Guide , space tourism is a commercial activity related to space that includes going to space as a tourist, watching a rocket launch, going stargazing, or traveling to a space-focused destination.

The first space tourist was Dennis Tito, an American multimillionaire, who spent nearly eight days onboard the International Space Station in April 2001. This trip cost him $20 million and made Tito the first private citizen who purchased his space ticket. Over the next eight years, six more private citizens followed Tito to the International Space Station to become space tourists.

As space tourism became a real thing, dozens of companies entered this industry hoping to capitalize on renewed public interest in space, including Blue Origin in 2000 and Virgin Galactic in 2004. In the 2000s, space tourists were limited to launches aboard Russian Soyuz aircraft and only could go to the ISS. However, everything changed when the other players started to grow up on the market. There are now a variety of destinations and companies for travels to space.

There are now six major space companies that are arranging or planning to arrange touristic flights to space:

• Virgin Galactic;
• Blue Origin;
• Axiom Space;
• Space Perspective.

While the first two are focused on suborbital flights, Axiom and Boeing are working on orbital missions. SpaceX, in its turn, is prioritizing lunar tourism in the future. For now, Elon Musk’s company has allowed its Crew Dragon spacecraft to be chartered for orbital flights, as it happened with the Inspiration4 3-day mission . Space Perspective is developing a different balloon-based system to carry customers to the stratosphere and is planning to start its commercial flights in 2024.

Orbital and suborbital flights are very different. Taking an orbital flight means staying in orbit; in other words, going around the planet continually at a very high speed to not fall back to the Earth. Such a trip takes several days, even a week or more. A suborbital flight in its turn is more like a space hop — you blast off, make a huge arc, and eventually fall back to the Earth, never making it into orbit. A flight duration, in this case, ranges from 2 to 3 hours.

Here is an example: a spaceflight takes you to an altitude of 100 km above the Earth. To enter into orbit — make an orbital flight — you would have to gain a speed of about 28,000 km per hour (17,400 mph) or more. But to reach the given altitude and fall back to the Earth — make a suborbital flight — you would have to fly at only 6,000 km per hour (3,700 mph). This flight takes less energy, less fuel; therefore, it is less expensive.

• Virgin Galactic: $250,000 for a 2-hour suborbital flight at an altitude of 80 km;
• Blue Origin: approximately $300,000 for 12 minutes suborbital flight at an altitude of 100 km;
• Axiom Space: $55 million for a 10-day orbital flight;
• Space Perspective: $125,000 for a 6-hour flight to the edge of space (32 km above the Earth).

The price depends, but remember that suborbital space flights are always cheaper.

What exactly do you expect from a journey to space? Besides the awesome impressions, here is what you can experience during such a trip:

• Weightlessness . Keep in mind that during a suborbital flight you’ll get only a couple of minutes in weightlessness, but it will be truly fascinating .
• Space sickness . The symptoms include cold sweating, malaise, loss of appetite, nausea, fatigue, and vomiting. Even experienced astronauts are not immune from it!
• G-force . 1G is the acceleration we feel due to the force of gravity; a usual g-force astronauts experience during a rocket launch is around 3gs. To understand how a g-force influences people , watch this video.

For now, the most significant barrier for space tourism is price. But air travel was also once expensive; a one-way ticket cost more than half the price of a new car . Most likely, the price for space travel will reduce overtime as well. For now, you need to be either quite wealthy or win in a competition, as did Sian Proctor, a member of Inspiration4 mission . But before spending thousands of dollars on space travel, here is one more fact you might want to consider.

Rocket launches are harmful to the environment in general. During the burning of rocket fuels, rocket engines release harmful gases and soot particles (also known as black carbon) into the upper atmosphere, resulting in ozone depletion. Think about this: in 2018 black-carbon-producing rockets emitted about the same amount of black carbon as the global aviation industry emits annually.

However, not all space companies use black carbon for fuel. Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket has a liquid hydrogen-fuelled engine: hydrogen doesn’t emit carbon but simply turns into water vapor when burning.

The main reason why space tourism could be harmful to the environment is its potential popularity. With the rising amount of rocket launches the carbon footprint will only increase — Virgin Galactic alone aims to launch 400 of these flights annually. Meanwhile, the soot released by 1,000 space tourism flights could warm Antarctica by nearly 1°C !

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Space tourism and commercialization.

Mike Read, International Space Station Commercial Space Utilization Manager, discusses NASA's new directive that further opens up the station for commercialization and space tourism with the goal of developing a robust economy in low-Earth orbit.​ HWHAP Episode 103.

Listen to the Podcast

If you’re fascinated by the idea of humans traveling through space and curious about how that all works, you’ve come to the right place.

“Houston We Have a Podcast” is the official podcast of the NASA Johnson Space Center from Houston, Texas, home for NASA’s astronauts and Mission Control Center. Listen to the brightest minds of America’s space agency – astronauts, engineers, scientists and program leaders – discuss exciting topics in engineering, science and technology, sharing their personal stories and expertise on every aspect of human spaceflight. Learn more about how the work being done will help send humans forward to the Moon and on to Mars in the Artemis program.

Episode 103 features International Space Station Commercial Space Utilization Manager, Mike Read, who discusses NASA’s new directive that further opens up the station for commercialization and space tourism with the goal of developing a robust economy in low-Earth orbit. This episode was recorded on June 18, 2019.

For more information on this directive check out the Low-Earth Orbit Economy webpage!

Gary Jordan (Host): Houston, we have a podcast! Welcome to the official podcast of the NASA Johnson Space Center, Episode 103, “Space Tourism and Commercialization.” I’m Gary Jordan and I’ll be your host today. On this podcast we bring in the experts; NASA scientists, engineers, astronauts, all to let you know the coolest information about what’s going on right here at NASA. So on June 7, 2019, NASA announced a new directive that further opens up the International Space Station for commercial use. This means a really brand new way that business is done in space. And it widens the possibilities for commercial companies to explore different markets, to manufacture goods, to test their own habitable structures, to conduct marketing and sponsorship activities, and to send more people to space through space tourism and private astronauts. This announcement was a big deal for us because it’s a significant shift from how we normally do things. But why do this at all? Well, NASA’s going full speed ahead to make a landing of the first woman and the next man on the moon a possibility. And developing a robust economy in low-Earth orbit, or basically creating a space in space, for companies to succeed, is a good way to make that happen. Developing this economy with many companies means NASA can focus its resources on Moon exploration. We’ll still need low-Earth orbit, but with this model, we can purchase services from companies in low-Earth orbit at a much lower cost than doing everything ourselves, because the ultimate goal would be to be one of many customers in a self-sustaining economy. The idea here is not to make money or reduce cost, just to enable this to happen. But really, this is all just skimming the surface; this announcement was densely packed with tons of details and nuances. So today, we’ll be talking more in depth about these efforts on the International Space Station with our guest, Mike Read. He’s the commercial space utilization manager for the International Space Station Program here in Houston. Mike is great at explaining all of this in a way that makes sense. So I was excited to bring him on. So here’s everything about space tourism, commercialization and marketing, with Mr. Mike Read, enjoy.

Host: Mike, thank you for coming on the podcast today.

Mike Read: Well, thanks for inviting me to do this.

Host: I know you’ve been waiting a long time for this to happen and I know just back and forth from the time that we’ve been working together, this is, this idea of commercialization has, is not new. We’ve been, we’ve been working on it for a while, right?

Mike Read: Actually we’ve been working on it longer than I even thought.

Mike Read: So this, this goes all the way back into the days of shuttle where we launched commercial communication satellites, we flew payload specialists from Hughes, Gregory Jarvis, who passed away on 51L, was a commercial astronaut, maybe the first commercial astronaut. And then in the ’90s we flew SPACEHAB missions on shuttle, I think we flew about a dozen, at least, of those through the Mir Program as well, Shuttle-Mir. And then we’ve been doing commercial research in space for all of that time and through the 2000’s to date, we’ve had a number of commercial companies, especially since we started the National Lab back in 2011, started operating it for commercial purposes.

Host: And I think that’s important to know, this is, this is something that’s existed for a long time, the idea of commercialization. I think some of the more, some of the things we’ve been announcing recently are a little bit new, and we can go into those later, but give us kind of more of that historical perspective. What is, what is the traditional model of how we’ve been working with these commercial companies, like you’ve been saying, over the past couple decades?

Mike Read: Well, so the traditional model of research is government funded, it’s through academia, through other government agency where we issue grant announcements and we select peer reviewed science and we go do it. The commercial aspect of it is different in that it’s more towards improving products or developing products perhaps. Proctor and Gamble’s been doing research on colloids, which are the micro elements inside of a fluid to keep things from separating, keeps your ketchup from having water and tomato spots on the shelf, right? For instance. But they’ve been doing colloids for probably about 15 years with us. Merck is now doing protein crystal growth, we’ve got pharmaceuticals companies doing rodent research, so it’s really, it’s really growing to where they’re covering their costs, whereas before, it was grant funded. We still help them with the implementation partner cost because it’s expensive to adapt a research investigation from terrestrial to space, and so we, we help with that, help them to prove that there’s goodness in doing research in space. And that’s a totally different model than a traditional grant funded model.

Host: Yeah, and a lot of this, is a lot of this through the ISS National Lab?

Mike Read: It is.

Host: Okay, so where does, where does that come in? The difference I guess, for those who don’t, may not understand the difference between ISS National Lab and research like you’re talking about, and some of the stuff that NASA’s doing.

Mike Read: So, so NASA we go by what we call the Decadal surveys. And so that is, it’s done as it suggests, about every 10 years and it influences the kind of research that the community believes we ought to be tackling and funding. So we have our own fundamental and applied research interests, and that’s half of all of the research that we do. The other half falls under the National Lab, which is other government agencies doing things similar to NASA, but driven by different goals. It’s academia and then it’s most importantly the commercial sector. So companies that want to do research to help their product development would come in through the National Lab and that’s the other half of all the research.

Host: Yeah, it’s the idea that the International Space Station is a laboratory in and of itself, but the difference is that you take microgravity out of the equation and there’s a lot of things that you can figure out by doing so.

Mike Read: Yeah, sometimes it speeds things up, sometimes it slows things down. So, the colloidal separation in gravity is much quicker, it’s minutes, because of the gravitational pull, but in space, it’s days. And so when you slow down that sedimentation, you can really see the interactions between the different elements that are within those fluids for instance. Flames are totally different, there’s no convection so heat doesn’t rise in space, and so a flame is much more uniform and it’s much different studying things like that in space without the gravitational pull.

Host: Yeah. And a lot of this, like you’re saying, is for researching, is for figuring out what exactly is happening, then later down the road, the idea is to commercialize something that you have figured out through that research.

Mike Read: On the commercial side, it would be, I mean their goals are going to be whatever their business model says they should be, right?

Host: Right.

Mike Read: And so if they can, if they can find a way to build a product that doesn’t separate, meaning it doesn’t look, it doesn’t look as attractive to a potential purchaser on a store shelf, well that’s to their benefit. Or if they can figure out elements of muscle wasting or you know, bone deterioration that can lead to a treatment for that, then that would be in a pharmaceutical companies’ interest. But doing things in space just allows you to take a little bit different approach than the long traditional 10 year, 12 year drug development program on the ground.

Host: Yeah, I know definitely drug development is one of those areas that’s particularly interesting for microgravity. But the, going back to this idea that commercial activity in space is not new, in fact, it’s something that we’ve actually invested in and it’s become regular as part of operations. I know particularly is commercial cargo transportation. Now, you know, what used to be the space shuttle, taking up cargo to the International Space Station, now we have SpaceX Dragon, now we have Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus, we have commercial vehicles as part of that. Was it partly the success of that program that kind of sparked this idea of, huh, maybe commercialization in space can actually, can actually be something we should look into?

Mike Read: I think that definitely is where we’re at now. What we did with the Commercial Cargo Program when we first released an announcement in 2006 for that. I think the first actual cargo delivery was in 2012, so about a half a dozen years later. Commercial Crew was announced in 2009, it fed off of how we, what we learned and how we did commercial cargo. But I think all of those were in a, those were set in a different time when we knew shuttle was only going to fly so long. At the time, we didn’t know when the last shuttle flight was going to be. But we also knew that doing this the traditional government program way was probably not going to be affordable in the long term. So those are the first big steps was in getting NASA away from paying for the vehicle, launching the vehicle, operating the vehicle, it’s a totally different model because our commercial partners now do that and will soon do that for Crew.

Host: Yeah, that’s right. That’s the Commercial Crew, we’re talking SpaceX in Boeing developing Crew capabilities, and that’s obviously you know, NASA’s a big part of that because we want a ride to the International Space Station, but that idea of a commercial company like you’re saying, owning and operating their own vehicle, now it opens it up for more opportunities beyond just providing that service for NASA.

Mike Read: Well, and the next step of course is a commercial destination, I mean that’s what we really want to see. I mean we’re always going to have a need to be in low-Earth orbit and the space station for certain is going to be the last U.S. government driven platform in low-Earth orbit, it’s just, it’s not affordable to sustain a government program when you want to go do a deep space or a moon mission.

Host: Yeah, it’s definitely an important thing, and I definitely want to get into the nitty gritty of this, especially the recent commercial and marketing policies that have come out. But, you know, kind of going back to the general idea, this is something that’s important, right? Why is it important to allow business opportunities in low-Earth orbit?

Mike Read: Well, it’s self-serving, it’s totally self-serving for us as an agency. Because we are always going to need a LEO platform, a low-Earth orbit platform. We’re going to need to do our fundamental and applied research, we’re going to need to do crew training and proficiency because we’re not going to send a crew to the moon on their very first mission. That’s just not going to happen. And we’re always going to need to test new systems because systems and fluids, they operate differently in microgravity than they do in 1G and we have learned so much about what we didn’t know, by running systems over long periods of time on the space station. So, it’s a, it’s a commercial and business test bed, but it’s also critical to us in our exploration needs. So, given that ISS will be the last government driven program and given that we’re always going to need to have a place in LEO, if there isn’t other demand for this, we’re stuck holding the bag for the entire operating cost of whatever the next destination looks like. And that’s not tenable either, so, we are doing this in our own best interest to help companies, leveraging the assets of the space station to help them see if there’s a business model in space. Whether it be for tourism, for marketing, for cell line development, personalized medicine, in space manufacturing, we don’t know, but we’re, we want to enable them to try out those ideas and see if there’s, if there’s goodness in doing things in microgravity, if there is, then those kind of things are scalable. They’ll need a good bit of the next destination in space. And that way we become one of many customers, rather than the only customer.

Host: Yeah.

Mike Read: Which is critical to our ability to continue to afford to do exploration.

Host: Yeah, which is at the very core of the reason why this policy change is more of that enabling part. The idea is to, is to, at least make available the opportunity for an economy to grow and become something robust so that we can get to that point. Like you’re saying, one of many customers.

Mike Read: So, policy was a big change in direction for us. It’s been, as you mentioned at the outset, it’s been a lot of years coming. And frankly, it’s taken the administration, the hill, it’s taken a lot of people to nudge us in that direction, telling us it’s okay, this is what we want to see you do. And so the policy was developed over, over a number of years but it all kind of came together in the last year. So, it’s really different for us, you know, the Russians have done space flight participants, a number of those, back in the 2000’s when they were doing those, it was difficult for us because it was an interruption in our mission. It was an interruption in the day to day ops on station and frankly we weren’t enamored of it at all, to say the least. But, we did a bunch of commercial studies last fall and one of the things that they, they all pointed out, virtually all of them pointed out, was that you know, allowing private astronauts, tourists, to professional astronauts from other countries, to access space station was a big portion of revenue that could close a business model.

Host: Mm hmm, yeah so, and that was part of those studies that, and you kind of listed off a couple of them already; you talked about in space manufacturing, you talked about drug development, these are some of the areas where we said as NASA, hey commercial sector, hey private sector, if you were to make money in space, where would be your opportunities? And I guess yes, space tourism, space flight participance is a big place for the commercial sector to thrive.

Mike Read: And we came, we came full circle on this one. You know, we, not only does it help stimulate demand for a platform, but it also drives demand for the access to space, transportation. Which, the more you sell of anything, economies of scale will tell you, the cheaper it’s going to get, which benefits us as well. So, that was, that was a very important aspect of deciding to allow these standalone private astronaut missions to access the space station.

Host: Yeah, yeah, and that’s part of the economy is, up front it’s going to be, it’s going to be a little bit more difficult but eventually the idea is the more frequent it becomes, the, and the more regular it becomes, the cheaper it’ll get, which is huge for us. And I think you mentioned cost already, cost I think is probably one of the greater barriers to entry for a company to start becoming I guess, commercial, or profitable in space, right?

Mike Read: Well yeah, access to space is the long pole in a tent.

Mike Read: The cost of doing business in space, the biggest cost is access, so one of the things we rolled out in our commercial strategic plan a couple of weeks ago, was a solicitation looking for ways to drive down that very thing. The cost of getting to space. So, we’ll see what the private sector has, you know, has in mind for how we can tackle that, how we as a government agency doing things that are inherently governmental but we can bring a special project together to maybe drive down whatever the technologies are that make this so difficult. Maybe it’s supply chain management. We don’t know, maybe it’s financial incentives to do business in space that don’t exist right now, so we have multiple government agencies working with us; FAA, commerce, and others, are all, they’re all on board in wanting to help enable us because they recognize it’s not just a NASA thing, it’s a U.S. thing.

Host: Yeah, yeah, very much so. So let’s go into the nitty gritty, let’s talk about what, let’s talk about what has been announced most recently. I think one of the top things is the policy itself, on commercial activities and what can, what now can and cannot be done regarding commercial activities and the time allocation that we’re dedicating to doing that. So what’s happening there?

Mike Read: So we’ve never allowed marketing on the ISS, other countries have done it, the Japanese have done it, the Russians have done it, ESA has done it, the European Space Agency. We’ve never participated in that and there’s been reasons for it, because we had a research mission, right? We had a systems development mission. But we also recognized that it’s important to us to enable it because there might be additional demand for space as I said earlier. So we’re going to allow some marketing activities that are revolve around things that are being done up there already. Let’s say, let’s take Procter and Gamble. They’ve been doing colloidal research on space station for years. If they wanted to do a marketing campaign using some of our cameras on space station and showing their hardware, talking about it, our crew can’t be in that, we don’t, we can’t be seen to endorse things, but we can be operating the camera, and we can downlink the data to them, and that’s not a problem, because that’s tied to something that they’re doing on space station. When private astronauts are up there, they’ll be able to go one step further, which is do things such as marketing, of products that don’t have anything to do with things going on on space station. So if McDonald’s wanted to do an advertisement filmed in space, those private astronauts could do that. Our crews cannot, but they could. And so that’s, it’s a huge shift that we’re, we’ve come out and said now, not only are we not going to fight this, but we’re actually going to announce that we’re going to enable it. Which I think is pretty cool.

Host: Enable it and dedicate time to it. I think that’s a big, that’s a big part of this whole thing is you said, you know, why couldn’t we do some of these activities before is because we had a research mission and if you wanted to do something else besides that research, that’s time, that’s time that you’re taking away from research. Now we’re actually using a part of NASA’s time, to actually do that, to pick, to have an astronaut pick up a camera and film something or to do something like that.

Mike Read: We have, we still have a research mission, we always will.

Host: Sure.

Mike Read: Crew time has been and likely will be again, one of our limiting resources, but we felt it was equally important to help stimulate a nascent demand for LEO that we’ve never tried before. So we’ve set aside about 90 hours a year for these commercial marketing activities. And we’ve set aside some kilograms of upmast too, to support whatever their needs might be as well, small, it’s about 5% of what we have available to us, so it doesn’t impact our research, the crews do a marvelous job of getting more time in than what we actually schedule for them. They work, they work Saturdays quite often, they work long days so, it really, it will not impact our research mission but it’s equally important to see if this can develop.

Host: Mm hmm. So at least we’re, you know, we’re dedicating that time and I think that’s the majority of the commercial and marketing activities is saying that this is something that we’re going to allow and it’s a big, I guess, caveat what you said between what a NASA astronaut can do, it has to be related to space and it, you can’t have the astronaut in front of the camera–

Mike Read: Correct.

Host: Personally endorsing anything. A little bit more freedom when it comes to private astronauts, which, like you said, space tourism, space flight participants, this is a big, this is a big commercial opportunity. So what’s happening there in the world of private astronauts? How’s it all going to work with I guess the difference between, that’s a big question I know that we’re getting in our office is, you know, how does this work? What do you have to do to become a private astronaut? Do you have to train? Which companies do you go for? What do you ride on? You know, how’s this all working?

Mike Read: The beautiful part about it is it’s all business to business.

Mike Read: We have to enable them on our side, there’s a lot of things that we have to do but we’ve pointed them to the two crew providers, crew vehicle providers that we have already, or will have already flight certified, once they fly, and that’s Boeing and SpaceX. If another one develops, and we certify it, then well okay we got three of them now. But they have to go to a U.S. provider, we’ll get away from our citizens paying for a ride on a Russian Soyuz vehicle, which doesn’t do our economy any good. We will have to work them into the flight plan, so it’s probably, and for training purposes, it just entirely depends on what they want to do. If they’re, if they’re a country that doesn’t have a presence on the ISS now, that want’s a space program, they could have, select one of their astronauts. They’d become what we would call a sovereign astronaut. They could train professionally, just like our crew does, to be able to do research and other things on board. They wouldn’t need to know how to operate the systems because that’s what our crew and the Russians crew, and our partner crew do. But, and that could be easily a 2 year program, to train. And it’s probably that long for us to get it in planned in the flight sequence anyway to accommodate them. We think we can accommodate maybe two of these a year, less than 30 days, any longer than that you start getting into some medical requirements and exercise requirements and things that are going to be hard for us to accommodate because our crews have subscribed that. But if you want to go up there and be a space flight participant, what we call space tourist, it could be a lot less time than that. We teach you how to use the comm system, the internet, satellite phone if you’re going to use that, how to use the galley, and the waste and hygiene compartment, and what not to teach here, here, and here, right? So that’s a lot less time than what it would be if you’re going to go up there and you’re going to operate as one of our crew would operate.

Host: Yeah. Yeah, I mean the idea is no matter what, there’s going to be some training involved.

Mike Read: Absolutely.

Host: At the very bare minimum you have to know how to work stuff and then an event of emergency, you have to know how to properly get out of there.

Mike Read: Exactly. You know, training using our emergency equipment will be another thing that they would do, maybe a bit of the medical, but it’d be minimal.

Host: Yeah. But the idea is that now we’re at least opening up the International Space Station, allowing the commercial and marketing activities enabling the space tourism and private astronauts, more professional astronauts depending on the training, but this whole idea of destinations and I think this is a very exciting one, like you said, you know, this International Space Station is not going to be there forever, let’s develop this space, this LEO, low-Earth orbit, where there can be commercial destinations flying and the idea is we are enabling the ability to test those things. So what’s the, what’s a destination? I think that’s a, that’s something that we kind of throw out there but it might not be kind of something that people really grasp onto.

Mike Read: A destination could be a commercial module, a commercial element on space station, which I’ll come back to in a minute, it could also be a free flying platform, it might be in proximity to the space station so that it could take advantage of the cargo vehicles that are already going to space station, maybe they visit space station and then they visit the Free Flyer commercial, commercial Free Flyer, and then you know, come back and return or it could look like several of those, I mean we’re going to always have a need for space and so we want that platform, whether it’s tested on ISS and then separates or whether it goes direct to Free — Flee Flyer, it’s easy for me to say [laughter] — whether it goes direct to Free Flyer, it doesn’t really matter as long as it is capable of functioning and providing the research accommodations that we need. So that’s the long-term goal. Part of that, part of the strategic plan roll out the other week was to enable both of those things. And those solicitations should be hitting the street this week to announce that we’re soliciting proposals to put a commercial module on the Node 2 forward port of the ISS, to extend that it would operate as an element of ISS but it would have different rules of the road if you will on things that they can do inside, especially with private crew, such as those pure marketing activities that we were talking about. Which that’s probably going to be the easiest thing to enable because it doesn’t really require any other equipment other than whatever props they’re going to use in the spot, right? Our video equipment, our cameras and all that, are onboard and they can be used for that, so either one of those are important and like I said, those will eventually provide the services that we require.

Host: Mm hmm. So the idea is, we don’t know exactly what that destination, what that commercial module could look like, so let us know what you think would be a commercially viable thing. That’s the, what we’re kind of requesting there.

Mike Read: And that’s pretty much the case. Well, we’ve, part of the roll out the other week was we quantified what our long-term needs were going to be in low-Earth orbit, and companies can look at that and say okay, what of those things does it make sense for me to try to provide so that I can get the government as a customer. Because they, the studies we did they, not all of them but most of them, need the government as a primary customer in some way, shape, or form. The ones that have business models that look like they could work, have us as maybe, maybe a large customer but not the majority customer. Other ones that need us as 80-90% customer is probably not, probably not very attractive to us. Same reason that you don’t want to be the only big box store at the mall and have everything be empty because you’re going to pay the whole cost of operating the mall. We don’t want to do that. And that’s just not, that’s not a good recipe for a robust economy in low-Earth orbit.

Host: So who can participate in this? I know this is another big question that we’ve been, we’ve been getting a lot, is I believe it’s, this is a U.S. company endeavor so when we’re talking about all these different commercial companies that can do this, that, and the other thing, this is a U.S. company thing.

Mike Read: Absolutely is. I mean the American tax payers have put billions of dollars into developing and operating and doing research on space station. The creation of the National Lab was to start providing some return to the U.S. economy in the form of commercial research on space station. That was important. But for the long haul, we’re going to enable the, using the resources that we have rights to, we, NASA have rights to on station, we’re going to enable a broader participation by the U.S. economy, U.S. commercial sector, in developing these elements and doing scalable research on ISS and in developing the Free Flying platforms.

Host: Yeah. But that’s not to say that, you know, the customers don’t necessarily have to be U.S., it’s the businesses themselves. So like you’re saying for the example of private astronauts, if a company, if a different country wants to have their, a representative of their country as the first astronaut from whatever country it may be, they will just have to go through these U.S. companies to make that happen.

Mike Read: That’s absolutely true. We’ve got commercial companies that own and operate their own hardware on space station right now, that bring in users, researchers from all around the world. NanoRacks, located right here in Houston, they did a, they’ve done investigations for I don’t know how many countries but they had a Beijing Institute of Technology investigation last year. They had Vietnam, schools in Vietnam have done research on there. They’ve deployed CubeSats for other countries, so it’s happening right now. It’s just were scaling it up in size.

Host: Yeah, so let’s look a little bit towards the, towards the future because I think that will kind of lay out what the ultimate goal is, you know, we talk about developing this robust economic in low-Earth orbit, let’s just say, let’s just say timeline X and let’s go to the very end of that, we have completed all of our mission, what does low-Earth orbit look like in this scenario?

Mike Read: In the best case, there’s multiple destinations operated commercially that each can satisfy some of NASA’s needs for systems development, crew training, and research, two or more, let’s put it that way. It’s going to be an expensive environment to sustain a business model in, but if it’s a, it’s a multifaceted business model, it’s probably got the most likelihood of success and for sustainability.

Host: Mm hmm. So that’s the idea, is the destinations are commercially operated, NASA is, doesn’t have a thing in space but we are purchasing services that already exist, or purchasing transportation, or purchasing capabilities onboard the destination. And the idea I think is because we’re focusing a little bit further out.

Mike Read: That’s exactly right, you know, we want to go back to the Moon. We’ve been given a charge to do that by 2024, which is going to be very aggressive but, it’s going to be very exciting. We have got to be able to utilize space station so companies can learn to do business and then they can sell services to us. That’s the end goal, we have to be able to do that. When, back in the 1870’s we built the transcontinental railroad. The government had a need for something but didn’t have the funds to do it. So private companies, consortium, built that from east to west, west to east, and they met in the middle. We backed it with bonds, promises to pay, right? And we gave away resources. We gave away land for every mile of track. We’re doing the same thing with space station in low-Earth orbit. We have a need to see destinations appear in space, as I said, for our own self-interest, and long-term needs, and we’re giving away resources. We’re giving away the upmast and the crew time, and the power and data, and the on orbit volume and all of that, because it makes sense to do it.

Host: Yeah. The transcontinental railroad of low-Earth orbit. I think, one of the other I think good benefits of doing this, especially in low-Earth orbit, especially with the International Space Station, is it’s, I think it’s a good representation, it’s a good model for what we can do again on the Moon. International Space Station, we’ve been working with international partners, were working with commercial companies, it’s not new. We’re doing it, and we’re getting pretty good at it I think. So I think using low-Earth orbit as a test, which has been the purpose of low-Earth orbit really, is to test different capabilities and systems. You can take a lot of those same concepts and apply that to the Moon. The administrator has already talked about working with commercial companies to actually make this Moon landing and this Artemis program a success. It’s something that’s needed.

Mike Read: Yeah, well the administrator has multiple degrees in business and finance so it’s not, it’s not a surprise that he is onboard with this commercialization, this commercialization effort.

Host: Well Mike, I think that’s a very good snapshot really, and just in depth description of all of this low-Earth orbit commercialization efforts. It’s a very exciting time, and a unique model for the way that we’re actually doing human space exploration. So I really appreciate your time.

Mike Read: You bet! This will be interesting to see how this all plays out going forward.

Host: Hey, thanks for sticking around. I hope you really enjoyed this discussion with Mike Read. He did a great job, I think, of explaining everything about that went into not just this announcement, but a little bit of history of all the commercial activity that’s been happening in space over these past couple decades. But if you really want to know more about this announcement specifically, and everything that has to do with it, there is a lot of information and we made it all available online. It’s on NASA.gov/LEO-economy , if you go to that site, you can really dig into all the different elements of what’s gone on, I guess because of this announcement and then all of the opportunities that are available for you to do onboard the International Space Station. Otherwise, if you’re curious on what is the International Space Station, I hope you check out some of our other podcasts that really go into depth there, but otherwise, you can just go to NASA.gov/iss . Check out our International Space Station and NASA Johnson Space Center pages on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, use the #askNASA on your favorite platform. To submit an idea for the show, make sure to mention it is for Houston, we have a podcast. This episode was recorded on June 18, 2019. Thanks to Alex Perryman, Norah Moran, and Pat Ryan. Thanks again to Mr. Mike Read for coming on the show. We’ll be back next week.

Space tourism explained: What, why and where

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Space tourism is an exciting development in the travel and tourism industry. A futuristic type of tourism , the prospect of being able to spend leisure time in space is a daunting concept for many. But whilst some of us may have expected only have to be able to experience space tourism using virtual reality software, several companies are turning holidays in space into a reality.

What is space tourism?

Space tourism definitions, history of space tourism, rocket launches, space museums, space tourism holidays, virgin galactic, blue origin, is space tourism safe, the cost of space tourism holidays, space tourism: conclusion, further reading.

Space tourism is a type of tourism that involves an interest in space. Whilst most people associate space tourism solely with trips to space, the concept of space tourism is, in fact, broader than this.

Space tourism can include visiting space-focussed museums, watching rocket launches or travelling to destinations popular for stargazing, amongst other space-related activities.

Most recently, there has been a lot of commercial attention centred around the concept of travelling to space as a tourist; this is something that several companies are working to achieve in the near future, including Virgin Galactic and SpaceX.

If you Google the phrase ‘what is space tourism’ you will quickly be informed by Google, Wikipedia and a range of other sources that it is travelling to space for leisure or business purposes.

I, however, contest that space tourism is solely focussed upon the act of travelling to space. There is so much more to space tourism than this! Yes, this is an exciting prospect that has grabbed the attention of the media and the public, but hold on a minute…. what about all the other space-related activities that we can do without boarding a rocket and leaving the solar system?

The people over at The Space Tourism Guide have the right idea. They state that;

‘Space Tourism is not — and should not be — confined to space alone… While we can and should consider all of the activities from space tourism companies like Virgin Galactic, Blue Origin, Zero2Infinity, and others space tourism, we should not discredit the companies and destinations here on earth who meet the needs and desires for all of us who love to travel for space-related activities. These can vary widely, from cities and museums like Space Center Houston to hotels with space-themed rooms.’

Space tourism is so much more than taking a trip to space! In fact, I argue that space tourism should encompass all activities related to space and astrology!

To date, there is little academic research into space tourism. Yes, some people have looked into astrology and the like, but on the whole, there is a dearth of information. Most research that has been conducted has focussed on looking at potential demand and market demographics.

In light of the misleading definitions that you will find when asking your favourite search engine what is meant by the term space tourism, I have provided my own definition below.

‘Space tourism is the act of taking part in activities that involve or are related to space, either for business or leisure purposes.’

So there you have it- a definition of space tourism.

There are a total of 600 people that have been to space. The first man visited space in 1961, but it was actually long before this day that many people developed an interest in space. In fact, people have been star gazing as long as records go back. Heck, even the ancient pyramids of Egypt were built around the stars .

So, the concept of space tourism is not new.

The 1950s, 60s, 70s and 80s saw huge progress in space research. The Soviet Union and The United States were world leaders in this area; undertaking many trips to space, exploring our solar system, nearby planets and moons. Space travel became more affordable and we learnt a lot during this time.

It was only at the turn of the new millennium that commercial space tourism ,whereby a tourist could travel to space, started to become a reality. A handful of wealthy citizens from around the world embarked on their leisure outings to space between 2001-2009. Observing this demand, a number of space tourism operators began to emerge, namely Blue Origin, Virgin Galactic and Rocket Lab. Said companies have since become household names.

In recent years the commercial hype and excitement towards space tourism has died down. The public continue to eagerly await the days that they may be able to exchange their all-inclusive holiday in Benidorm for a week of zero-gravity in space, but for most, this is an unrealistic and unachievable prospect.

For now, it appears that travelling into space will be available only for the super-rich, and we do not yet know when this might be attainable. BUT the space tourism industry in all its other forms (museums, star gazing, rocket launches etc) remains to be obtainable to all.

Types of space tourism

We might not realistically be able to travel into space for our annual leave days just yet, but there are still ways that we can get involved with the space tourism industry. Here are some examples.

Stargazing is a popular space tourism pastime for many. There are many parts of the world that are renowned for their stargazing potential. These are usually remote areas, where the light pollution is reduced, enabling maximum visibility.

Some popular stargazing destinations have capitalised on the tourist market by organising stargazing tours or stargazing-focussed accommodation options, such as bubble hotels. This CNN article shows you some of the best bubble hotel spots around the world. Many people use this opportunity to visit the Northern Lights or the Southern Lights too.

Lots of these destinations are perfect for practicing your astrophotography too!

Whilst a rocket launch may not be an everyday occurrence, it is possible to spectate when they do happen. Once operated only by Governments, there are now a range of private companies that undertake rocket launches.

If you travel to a destination with the sole intention of watching a rocket launch, or if you watch a rocket launch alongside other business or leisure pursuits, you can be classified as a space tourist.

A prominent part of the space tourism industry are space museums.

There are many museums throughout the world that are focussed around the concept of space, although these are most numerous in the United States and Russia. Here are some of the most highly-rated space museums.

• Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, Washington DC, US
• Canada Aviation and Space Museum, Ottawa, Canada
• Memorial Museum of Cosmonautics, Moscow, Russia
• Pima Air and Space Museum, Arizona , US
• Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum, New York City, US
• Le Bourget Air and Space Museum, Paris, France
• Kennedy Space Center, Florida , US
• Cité de l’espace, Toulouse, France

As I mentioned earlier, space tourism holidays are what many people think space tourism is all about. Whilst there are other activities that constitute space tourism, space tourism holidays have gained a lot of media attention in recent years, and rightly so. Who wouldn’t pick up the paper and read an article that tells them that they can swap their two weeks in the sun for two weeks in space?

OK, so it isn’t quite so simple. It will require some adjustment to spending time at zero gravity, you might get a little travel sick and you might not return home with quite the same tan lines, BUT space tourism holidays are set to become a reality.

There are a number of companies who have been developing their space tourism products for a number of years, although exactly when we can go on our next space tourism holiday, is yet to be determined.

Space tourism companies

There are several key players in the space tourism holiday market. See below for a brief summary of each.

Virgin Galactic is perhaps one of the best known space tourism holiday companies. It is part of the wider Virgin Group and therefore has the benefit of an already well-established brand and reputation. It is owned by Richard Branson.

The company plans to send range of tourists to space and already has an extensive waitlist for eager space travellers, including the likes of Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Leonardo DiCaprio, Ashton Kutcher and Justin Bieber.

Virgin Galactic has, however, had some negative publicity in recent times, with multiple delays and the in-flight loss of its VSS Enterprise spaceplane in 2014.

Unlike Virgin Galactic, SpaceX are an experienced rocket launching company that are now extending their operations to the commercial space tourism holiday market.

SpaceX was founded by Elon Musk. Their first holiday was initially scheduled for 2018, but has since been delayed.

Blue Origin plans to offer similar space tourism holidays to that offered by Virgin Galactic. With a traditional, vertical take-off rocket, the company plans to begin operations soon, although there is not firm date set yet.

Blue Origin was founded in 2000 by Mr Bezos.

Orion Span plans to send tourists to space to stay in their ‘space hotel’. The space hotel would accommodate up to six tourists at a time and would be positioned the private commercial space station, Aurora Space Station.

The CEO of Orion Span is Frank Bunger who states that the company’s ‘goal is to make space accessible to all’. They plan to begin operations in 2021.

Better known for their aircraft that do not leave the hemisphere, Boeing have also branched out into the space tourism holiday market.

Boeing’s involvement emerged from their working arrangement with NASA, whereby they have been working on the Commercial Crew Development programme, aimed at increasing involvement from private sector companies in the production of crew vehicles to be launched into orbit.

Boeing have developed a crew capsule, called the Boeing CST-100 Starliner, providing them with the opportunity to sell seats to space tourists.

There have been some concerns over the safety of space tourism, particularly after the negative publicity surrounding the Virgin Galactic loss of aircraft in 2014.

Because it’s so early in development of the space tourism industry and the FAA can’t control how companies design and manufacture their aircraft , it’s hard to say how safe space tourism holidays will be.

There have been many critiques, however, who have suggested that there will be deaths amongst tourists who seek to holiday in space. The number of accidents that have occurred during the testing phases hasn’t done much to people’s minds at ease, either.

Space tourism holidays are for everyday folk, at least not yet anyway, because you need to have a hefty sum of money in your pocket to be able to afford the ticket.

Prices start from US$250,000 and range up to tens of millions of Dollars. Whilst each space tourism holiday company will differ slightly, prices will typically include pre-departure training and equipment. For now, space tourism trips are set to be short in duration, lasting only a few hours. The intention is, however, that trips can be extended in the future to allow for prolonged stays in space.

As you can see, the space tourism industry is a prominent part of the wider tourism industry. Whilst most attention typically goes to the exciting prospect of space tourism holidays, there are also a number of other leisure pursuits that constitute space tourism.

It is likely that we will see many developments in the space tourism industry in the coming years, as research and development continues to be undertaken by a number of commercial operators. Watch this space and maybe you will be the next person to spend your annual leave days in space!

If you want to read up on the space tourism industry a little more then I can recommend the following texts-

• The Market for Space Tourism: Early Indications by Geoffrey Crouch- An overview of the Space Tourism market and its future potential
• Endurance: A Year in Space, A Lifetime of Discovery by Scott Kelly- A diary account of NASA astronaut’s experiences in space.
• Space Tourism by Patrick Stakem- A textbook introducing the concept of space tourism.

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The Rise of Space Tourism: How Technology Is Making Space Travel Accessible To All

In the vast expanse of the cosmos, a new era dawns upon you—the era of space tourism. What once only existed in the realms of your favorite science fiction shows, and the dreams of visionaries are now becoming a reality, thanks to technological advancements. 

The once-exclusive domain of astronauts and scientists is opening its doors to civilians, promising an otherworldly experience if you dream of adventures beyond Earth. 

This article explores the remarkable rise of space tourism, examining the technological breakthroughs that will soon make space travel accessible to you.

What is space tourism?

Space tourism refers to the commercial activity of sending you into space for recreational, leisure, or adventure purposes. Unlike traditional space exploration conducted by government space agencies for scientific research or national interests, space tourism aims to allow you to experience space travel for personal enjoyment.

The idea behind space tourism is to enable you, the average non-astronaut individual, to experience a trip to space with similar accessibility to renting an RV for your road trips. 

Space tourism involves using a spacecraft, typically designed and operated by private companies, to transport you beyond Earth's atmosphere. If you are in a space tourism program, you may experience various aspects of space travel, such as weightlessness, seeing the curvature of the Earth, and observing the vastness of space. 

There are different levels of space tourism, each of which can offer you a distinct experience. These levels are suborbital tourism, orbital tourism, and lunar tourism. 

Image by NASA on Unsplash

Suborbital tourism

Suborbital flights take you to the edge of space, typically reaching the Kármán line, the internationally recognized border between Earth's atmosphere and space. 

During these short journeys, you can experience a few minutes of weightlessness and see the curvature of the Earth before returning to the planet's surface. Companies like Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin are actively responsible for developing suborbital space tourism programs.

Orbital tourism

Orbital flights involve reaching and orbiting the Earth at altitudes higher than suborbital flights. This level of space tourism provides a more extended experience in microgravity, and companies like Axiom Space are at the forefront of developing commercial space stations to host tourists like yourself for extended stays in orbit.

Lunar tourism

While still in the conceptual stage, lunar tourism involves sending you and other private individuals on missions to orbit the Moon or even land on its surface. Companies like SpaceX have expressed aspirations to offer lunar tourism services as part of their long-term plans for space exploration.

Space tourism represents a shift from government-dominated space activities to the involvement of private companies driven by entrepreneurs with a vision of making space travel accessible to you. 

While the cost of participating in space tourism remains high, ongoing technological advancements and increased competition in the industry contribute to making space travel more affordable in the future.

The Genesis of Space Tourism

Space tourism has its roots in the mid-20th century, as space exploration captured the public's imagination. However, it was not until the 21st century that the idea of civilians traveling to space gained serious traction. 

The turning point came with the efforts of private companies that sought to capitalize on the growing interest in space travel. Enterprising companies such as SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Virgin Galactic emerged as pioneers in the field of commercial spaceflight. 

These companies, led by visionaries like Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Sir Richard Branson, aimed to democratize access to space. That makes it not only a privilege of government-funded space agencies but an experience accessible to you and other civilians.

Technological Innovations Driving Space Tourism

Several vital technological innovations have paved the way for the rise of space tourism. These breakthroughs have not only made space travel more feasible but have also contributed to a significant reduction in costs, making it a viable option for a broader chunk of the population.

Reusable rocket technology

One of the primary challenges in space travel has always been the cost associated with launching rockets. Traditional rockets were single-use, discarded after a single mission. 

However, companies like SpaceX revolutionized the industry by developing reusable rocket technology. For example, the Falcon 9's design enables it to land back on Earth after launching its payload, allowing it to be refurbished and used for subsequent missions. 

This breakthrough has drastically reduced launch costs, making space tourism more economically viable.

Advancements in spacecraft design

The design and engineering of spacecraft have evolved significantly, focusing on enhancing safety, comfort, and efficiency. New spacecraft, such as SpaceX's Crew Dragon and Boeing's CST-100 Starliner, prioritize your well-being while providing an immersive and unforgettable experience. 

State-of-the-art materials, advanced life support systems, and ergonomic interiors are just a few elements contributing to transforming space vehicles into sophisticated, user-friendly capsules.

Commercial spaceports

The establishment of commercial spaceports is a crucial development in the expansion of space tourism. These specialized facilities, such as Spaceport America in New Mexico and the Mojave Air and Space Port in California, are designed to accommodate the unique needs of commercial spaceflight. 

They provide launch infrastructure, mission control centers, and support services, creating a dedicated environment for space tourism activities.

Space tourism training programs

With space tourism becoming a reality comes the rising demand for passenger training programs. These programs are designed to familiarize passengers with the unique challenges of space travel, ensuring your safety and preparedness for the experience. 

The actual training includes aspects such as zero-gravity simulations, emergency procedures, and familiarization with spacecraft systems. Developing these programs is critical to making space travel accessible without requiring a background in astronautics.

Image by SpaceX on Unsplash

The Top Players in the Space Tourism Race

Several companies today lead the charge in the burgeoning space tourism industry, each bringing its unique approach. The most notable of these organizations include SpaceX, Blue Origin, Virgin Galactic, Boeing, and Axiom Space. 

Founded by entrepreneur Elon Musk in 2002, SpaceX has rapidly become a key player in the space industry. While primarily known for its ambitious goals of colonizing Mars, SpaceX is also responsible for many significant strides in space tourism. 

The company's Crew Dragon spacecraft, designed to transport astronauts to the ISS or International Space Station, is a foundation for its tourism ventures. 

In 2021, SpaceX completed the first all-civilian mission , Inspiration4, sending a crew of private individuals on a multi-day journey around Earth. This achievement marked a massive milestone in the democratization of space travel.

SpaceX's Starship, a fully reusable spacecraft currently in development, is ready to play a pivotal role in the company's future tourism initiatives. With its massive payload capacity and versatility, Starship aims to make space travel more accessible to you and other civilians and professionals alike.

Blue Origin

Founded by Amazon's Jeff Bezos in 2000, Blue Origin is committed to making space tourism a reality for everyone. The company's New Shepard suborbital rocket system 's design enables it to carry you on a brief but exhilarating journey to the edge of space. 

New Shepard features a capsule with large windows, providing breathtaking views of Earth during a few minutes of weightlessness.

In 2021, Blue Origin launched its first crewed mission, flying Bezos, his brother, and two other passengers. This event marked a significant step in demonstrating the safety and feasibility of the New Shepard system. 

Blue Origin's focus on suborbital tourism is part of a broader vision that includes orbital spaceflight with its New Glenn rocket, set to launch in the coming years.

Virgin Galactic

Virgin Galactic has been at the forefront of the space tourism race . The company aims to provide a unique experience by using its SpaceShipTwo suborbital spaceplane, which the mothership WhiteKnightTwo carries to high altitudes before releasing it to ascend into space. 

In this spaceflight, you can experience a few minutes of weightlessness and witness the curvature of the Earth before returning to the planet. Virgin Galactic completed its first fully crewed suborbital spaceflight in 2021, with company founder Sir Richard Branson himself on board. 

The company plans to scale up its operations, offering commercial spaceflights to paying customers soon. Virgin Galactic's emphasis on providing a luxurious and visually stunning experience sets it apart in the competitive space tourism market.

You have likely heard of Boeing for its contributions to commercial aviation. Today, the company is actively involved in the space tourism sector. 

Boeing's CST-100 Starliner is a spacecraft designed in partnership with NASA for transporting astronauts to and from the ISS. Boeing has also expressed interest in leveraging its space capabilities for commercial purposes, including tourism.

Boeing's participation in the space tourism race symbolizes the evolving landscape where established aerospace giants adapt to the industry's changing dynamics. The company's experience and infrastructure contribute to the growing ecosystem of space travel options for both government and private entities.

Axiom Space

Axiom Space is pioneering a different approach to space tourism by focusing on creating a commercial space station. The company plans to build the Axiom Station , a modular space facility that will serve as a destination for professional astronauts and private individuals. 

Axiom aims to offer a range of activities, from research and manufacturing to leisure and tourism, aboard its space station.

The Axiom Mission 1 (Ax-1), scheduled for the near future, is ready to be the world's first entirely private human spaceflight mission to the ISS. Axiom's vision of a commercial space station represents a shift towards a more sustained and diverse space tourism experience beyond suborbital flights.

The race for space tourism supremacy is heating up, with each company contributing to developing an industry once considered the exclusive domain of governments. While SpaceX, Blue Origin, Virgin Galactic, Boeing, and Axiom Space each have distinct approaches and technologies, they share a common goal of making space accessible to you, the private individual.

The ongoing competition in space tourism will likely result in further innovation, cost reduction, and increased safety standards. As these organizations continue to push the boundaries of human spaceflight, the dream of space tourism is inching closer to reality for people worldwide. 

The future of space travel is undoubtedly exciting, with the potential to transform how you view and experience the cosmos. It will certainly be a far cry from how you would typically view the stars from a campsite . 

The Cost of Space Tourism

While technological advancements have significantly reduced the cost of space travel, space tourism remains out of your reach unless you have substantial financial resources. By today's standards, a single ticket to space costs $200,000 to $500,000 for a suborbital flight and $50 million to $60 million for an orbital flight. 

Despite the high cost, a growing market of individuals is willing to invest in this once-in-a-lifetime adventure.

Image by Graham Holtshausen on Unsplash

The Future of Space Tourism

The rise of space tourism is just the beginning of humanity's journey beyond Earth. As technology advances and costs decrease, space travel will likely become more accessible to you. The development of orbital and lunar tourism, with the prospect of hotels and habitats in space, could transform your relationship with the cosmos.

Beyond suborbital flights, the next frontier for space tourism is orbital travel. Companies like Axiom Space have worked tirelessly to develop commercial space stations that could accommodate you for extended stays in orbit. 

These space hotels would provide a  unique and immersive experience, allowing you to live and work in a microgravity environment while enjoying breathtaking views of Earth from space.

As the technology for deep-space exploration advances, the Moon emerges as your potential destination. SpaceX's Starship, for instance, is what the company envisions as a spacecraft capable of carrying you and other passengers on lunar missions. 

Lunar tourism could offer a truly out-of-this-world experience, allowing you to set foot on the Moon and witness Earthrise from a celestial vantage point.

Mars tourism

Looking even further into the future, the prospect of interplanetary tourism to Mars becomes a tantalizing possibility. Companies like SpaceX, with their ambitious plans for Mars colonization, could eventually open the doors for you to visit the Red Planet. 

While this remains a long-term vision, the rapid pace of technological innovation suggests that what seems like science fiction today could become a reality in the not-too-distant future.

The First Steps to the Final Frontier

The rise of space tourism marks a transformative moment in the history of human exploration. What was once the exclusive domain of astronauts and scientists is now within reach for you, the average civilian with a sense of adventure and a willingness to embrace the unknown. 

Technological breakthroughs in reusable rocket technology, spacecraft design, and commercial spaceports have paved the way for a new era of space travel.

As companies like SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Virgin Galactic continue to push the boundaries of what is possible, the dream of space tourism is becoming more tangible. While the cost remains a significant barrier for many, ongoing developments in the industry suggest that space travel could become increasingly accessible to you in the future. 

It holds the promise of orbital and lunar tourism, with the potential for humanity to become a multi-planetary species. As you gaze towards the stars, the rise of space tourism invites you to reconsider your place in the cosmos. 

What was once works of science fiction is now a tangible reality, and the journey into space is no longer exclusive to a select few. It is a testament to human ingenuity, curiosity, and the relentless pursuit of exploration that stand on the brink of a new frontier—the democratization of space travel.

This post was authored by an external contributor and does not represent Benzinga's opinions and has not been edited for content. The information contained above is provided for informational and educational purposes only, and nothing contained herein should be construed as investment advice. Benzinga does not make any recommendation to buy or sell any security or any representation about the financial condition of any company.

© 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

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Passing Thru Travel

Travel Beyond Earth: Exploring the Future of Space Tourism

Posted: March 22, 2024 | Last updated: March 22, 2024

Space tourism, once a mere figment of science fiction, rapidly evolves into a tangible reality, offering the most intrepid travelers an unprecedented opportunity to venture beyond Earth’s confines. This burgeoning industry promises to redefine the boundaries of exploration, providing experiences ranging from suborbital flights to extended stays in space stations. As private companies like SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Virgin Galactic spearhead this new era, the dream of gazing upon Earth from the vastness of space is closer than ever. This guide explores the forefront of space tourism, presenting ideas that mark the future of extraterrestrial travel.

1. Suborbital Spaceflights

Image Credit: Shutterstock / Dima Zel

Suborbital spaceflights represent the threshold of human space exploration, offering a brief yet profound journey beyond the confines of Earth’s atmosphere. This experience allows you to witness the curvature of the Earth against the backdrop of the infinite cosmos, a sight that has transformed the perspective of many astronauts.

During the flight, you’ll experience a few minutes of weightlessness, floating freely within the cabin, an exhilarating and serene sensation. Companies leading this venture, such as Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic, utilize cutting-edge spacecraft designed for safety, comfort, and the optimal viewing experience. The flights are meticulously planned, with each phase — from the rocket’s ascent to the silent glide back to Earth — maximizing the passenger’s experience of space.

Insider’s Tip: Opt for a comprehensive training program offered by these companies to prepare physically and mentally for the rigors and euphoria of space travel.

2. Orbital Spaceflights

Orbital spaceflights are the next frontier for private space tourism, offering an extended stay in low Earth orbit. This experience goes beyond the brief moments of weightlessness, allowing you to live and move in space, witnessing multiple sunrises and sunsets in a single day from the vantage point of a spacecraft. Currently, this level of space travel is offered by companies like SpaceX, which plans to use its Crew Dragon spacecraft to transport private citizens to orbit.

While aboard, you’ll experience life as modern astronauts, from sleeping in zero gravity to observing the Earth from a unique orbital perspective. The journey is about experiencing the day-to-day life of an astronaut, making it a profoundly transformative experience.

Insider’s Tip: Engage in a rigorous pre-flight conditioning regimen to ensure you can fully enjoy and participate in the activities and demands of living in space.

3. Space Hotels

Image Credit: Shutterstock / Alones

The concept of space hotels is set to revolutionize space tourism, offering a luxurious stay in orbit. These hotels, planned by companies like Axiom Space, aim to attach habitable modules to the International Space Station or even construct free-flying space stations designed for commercial use.

Guests can expect accommodations that combine the thrill of space with the comforts of Earth, including rooms with views of the planet below, space-grown food, and recreational activities adapted for microgravity. The development of space hotels highlights the growing accessibility of space travel, promising an extraordinary vacation destination that was once the realm of astronauts.

Insider’s Tip: Keep an eye on the development progress of these stations and plan for a longer training period to acclimate to extended periods in microgravity.

4. Lunar Flybys

Lunar flybys mark an ambitious step in space tourism, offering private citizens the chance to journey around the Moon. This mission, reminiscent of the Apollo missions of the 1960s and 70s, promises an unparalleled adventure, bringing you up close to the lunar surface before witnessing the Earth rising over the Moon’s horizon.

SpaceX’s Starship is one of the spacecraft intended to make such missions possible, providing a comfortable and safe journey for those aboard. The experience of seeing the Moon up close and the Earth in full view offers an extraordinary sense of our place in the universe and the interconnectedness of all life on our planet.

Insider’s Tip: Such a mission requires physical preparation and a deep commitment, as it represents one of the longer-duration space tourism experiences currently planned.

5. Zero-Gravity Flights

Image Credit: Shutterstock / Frame Stock Footage

Embarking on a zero-gravity flight offers an unparalleled introduction to the sensations of space without leaving Earth’s atmosphere. This experience simulates the weightlessness of outer space through parabolic flight patterns, creating moments where gravity’s pull is momentarily negated.

Inside a specially modified aircraft, you’ll float, flip, and soar as if in space, providing a unique taste of what astronauts experience aboard the International Space Station. The flights are meticulously planned and executed, involving a series of steep climbs and descents, with each parabola offering around 20 to 30 seconds of weightlessness.

For those dreaming of space travel, this adventure is an accessible and exhilarating preview, requiring minimal training compared to orbital missions. It’s a favorite among space enthusiasts, researchers, and educators for its educational value and the sheer joy of experiencing microgravity.

Insider’s Tip: Focus on mastering movements in microgravity during the flight to maximize the experience. Quick acclimation allows for more freedom and enjoyment during the brief periods of weightlessness.

6. Spacewalk Simulations

Image Credit: Shutterstock / vicspacewalker

Spacewalk simulations offer an immersive experience that closely mimics the extravehicular activities (EVAs) performed by astronauts in the vacuum of space. Utilizing advanced virtual reality (VR) technology and neutral buoyancy labs, these simulations give participants a realistic sense of the challenges and exhilaration of conducting a spacewalk.

In neutral buoyancy labs, participants are submerged in large pools equipped with full-scale models of spacecraft and space station modules, allowing them to practice tasks under conditions that simulate microgravity. VR simulations, on the other hand, use cutting-edge graphics and motion-sensing technology to create detailed, interactive environments where participants can explore and work on virtual spacecraft or satellites.

These experiences are designed not only for entertainment but also as educational tools, offering insights into the physics of space, the complexity of astronaut tasks, and the teamwork required to complete a mission outside the Earth’s atmosphere.

Insider’s Tip: Take the time to learn about the intricacies of real space missions to enhance the realism and immersion of the simulation experience.

7. Astronaut Training Experiences

Astronaut training experiences are comprehensive programs designed to simulate the physical and mental preparation required for space travel. These programs cover a wide range of activities, from high-G force centrifuge training to simulate rocket launches to underwater neutral buoyancy sessions that mimic the weightlessness of space.

Participants also engage in classroom sessions where they learn about spacecraft operations, navigation, and the science behind human spaceflight. Additionally, survival training exercises prepare participants for emergency scenarios, including how to safely return to Earth in unforeseen circumstances.

These experiences are offered by various space agencies and private companies, aiming to provide an authentic glimpse into the life of an astronaut and the rigorous training they undergo.

Insider’s Tip: Embrace every aspect of the training for a holistic understanding of the physical and psychological demands of space travel.

8. Visits to Space Launch Facilities

Image Credit: Shutterstock / Northfoto

Visits to space launch facilities offer a unique opportunity to witness the intersection of human ingenuity and cosmos exploration. Facilities like NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida and SpaceX’s launch site at Boca Chica, Texas, provide guided tours where visitors can see launch pads, vehicle assembly buildings, and control rooms.

These tours often include exhibits on the history of space exploration, showcasing spacecraft, satellites, and memorabilia from historic missions. For those interested in the future of space travel, some facilities also offer the chance to see the latest aerospace technology and spacecraft being prepared for upcoming missions.

Witnessing a live rocket launch is a highlight of visiting these facilities, offering a tangible sense of the power and potential of space exploration.

Insider’s Tip: Plan your visit to coincide with a live rocket launch for an unforgettable experience, but be prepared for schedule changes due to weather or technical delays.

9. Space Camps for Adults

Image Credit: Shutterstock / Mike_shots

Space camps designed for adults blend the thrill of space exploration with the rigor of astronaut training in an immersive, educational environment. These camps offer a comprehensive overview of space science, including hands-on activities like building and launching model rockets, simulating space missions, and navigating obstacle courses designed to mimic the physical challenges of space travel.

Beyond the physical activities, workshops, and lectures from experts in the field provide insights into the complexities of spaceflight, the history of space exploration, and the future of humanity in space. This experience is about fulfilling childhood dreams and understanding the teamwork, problem-solving, and technical knowledge required for space missions.

Whether you’re a space enthusiast looking to deepen your understanding or simply seeking an adventure out of this world, adult space camps offer an unforgettable journey into the final frontier.

Insider’s Tip: Engage fully in the camp activities and network with fellow space enthusiasts to enrich your experience and foster connections within the space tourism community.

10. Virtual Reality Space Exploration

Image Credit: Shutterstock / Gorodenkoff

Virtual reality (VR) space exploration represents the cutting edge of technology, allowing you to traverse the cosmos from the comfort of your own home. High-definition visuals and immersive audio transport you to other worlds, from the International Space Station to the rugged terrain of Mars. These experiences are crafted with attention to scientific accuracy, offering not just entertainment but an educational journey through space and time.

You can embark on guided tours of extraterrestrial landscapes, participate in simulated space missions, and learn about the cosmos in an engaging, interactive format. VR technology continues to evolve, promising ever more realistic and expansive explorations of the universe. For those fascinated by space but not ready to leave Earth, virtual reality offers a compelling window into what lies beyond our planet.

Insider’s Tip: Invest in a high-quality VR headset and explore the various space exploration programs available to maximize the realism and depth of your virtual space experience.

The Bottom Line

Image Credit: Shutterstock / Skreidzeleu

As space tourism evolves, these journeys become increasingly accessible to those who dream of the stars. Whether through a brief parabolic flight or an ambitious journey around the Moon, the opportunities for adventure beyond Earth’s atmosphere are expanding. Each of these experiences requires financial investment, a commitment to preparation, and a willingness to embrace the unknown.

As you contemplate your place in the cosmos, remember that the essence of space tourism lies in pushing the boundaries of human experience, offering a new perspective on our planet and our place within the universe. The future of travel beyond Earth promises new destinations and a new understanding of what it means to explore.

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Space Technology Investments: The Future of Space Tourism

The ventures into outer space were once the exclusive domain of government agencies. Now, the landscape is fast changing, thanks to private companies that are making significant strides towards making space tourism a reality. With this new industry taking shape, investment opportunities are emerging and the future of space tourism shows immense promise.

Key Highlights 

• The market for space tourism could reach $4 billion by 2030 
• Blue Origin, SpaceX, and Virgin Galactic lead the charge when it comes to taking the first tourists into space 
• Potential decreases in the costs of space travel could lead to an accelerated growth of the space tourism industry
• OurCrowd helps to fund multiple promising space technology start-ups, such as: Edgybees , Axiom Space , and the Balerion Space Ventures Fund .

What Is Space Tourism? 

Space tourism, in simple terms, is travel beyond Earth's atmosphere for recreational purposes. It signifies the next evolution of travel, offering private citizens the unique opportunity to view Earth from an entirely new perspective and experience the thrill of weightlessness and space exploration. This nascent industry is facilitating not only transportation to space but also space accommodation in orbital hotels; a symbol of technological advancements and scientific discovery.

What Is the Market Potential of the Space Tourism Industry? 

Recent estimates suggest an extraordinary economic potential for the commercial space travel industry, with significant growth expected over the next decade. A report by UBS indicates that the market for space tourism could reach $4 billion annually by 2030. 1 Another report from Morgan Stanley predicts that the global space technology industry could generate revenue of $1 trillion or more in 2040. 2  

How to Invest in Commercial Space Travel? 

Investors can put their money into commercial space travel either by investing in publicly traded companies or by backing startups and other pre-IPO businesses that show a lot of promise for future growth. 

Investing can involve taking positions in established aerospace companies that are expanding into space tourism, or startups focusing purely on this industry. 

Keep in mind that while investing in the stock market is a viable way to build your position in an industry, future-facing markets such as space tourism revolve around new, promising businesses that aren’t likely to go public shortly. Being able to acquire stocks in promising, pre-IPO companies that push the boundaries of what’s possible in the industry is a chance at becoming a major shareholder of the next “big thing” before the majority of investors catch on. This is exactly the kind of opportunity that OurCrowd provides our partners with. 

You don’t need to buy shares of tourism-specific companies to build a position in this industry. Investing in businesses that support space tourism, such as companies developing technologies for space vehicles, spaceports, or training services for future astronauts. 

OurCrowd is full of such opportunities. For instance, Axiom Space has already become one of the most sought-after companies for manufacturing complex space station modules, and Edgybees is deploying AI to vastly improve the accuracy of satellite imagery, a crucial component of ensuring the safety and success of any space tourism venture. By becoming an OurCrowd member, you’ll be able to invest in these companies, and many more like them easily and effortlessly.

The Leading Space Tourism Companies 

Currently, a handful of innovative companies are propelling the commercial space industry forward. It’s worth noting that they already have massive amounts of capital at their disposal, with each of the three leaders described below being created by some of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs. 

Blue Origin

Founded by Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, Blue Origin aims to make space accessible for everyone. Their primary initiative is the New Shepard, a rocket designed to take passengers to the edge of space, offering them a few minutes of weightlessness before returning to Earth. With its successful uncrewed test flights already conducted, they're well on their journey toward actualizing consumer space travel. 

SpaceX 

SpaceX, Elon Musk's brainchild, revolutionizes space technology with its advanced rockets and spacecraft. While they've already successfully sent astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS), SpaceX's grand plan is interplanetary travel starting with Mars. Their spacecraft, Starship, is currently under development and is expected to carry out various missions including carrying tourists on round-the-moon trips. Their ambitious goals have made them one of the most exciting players in the market.

Virgin Galactic 

Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic is harnessing the power of science and innovation to create unique travel experiences. Their spaceship, VSS Unity, has already achieved multiple test flights involving crewed space travel. The company has also begun taking reservations for commercial passenger flights at $200,000+ per ticket, signifying its transition from development to a commercial operation.

Factors Driving the Growth of Space Tourism 

The space tourism sector has been making strides in recent years. Although there’s still a long way to go until fully operational commercial space tours become available, the following growth drivers currently contribute to making this vision a reality. 

Technological Advancements in the Industry 

Rapid technological advancements have profoundly impacted the growth of the space tourism industry. Improved rocket technology allows not only for safer and more reliable travel but also for the reuse of rockets, which significantly cuts back on costs. Innovations in fuel efficiency, navigation systems, cabin design, and safety measures have all played a part in making space travel more accessible.

Additionally, advancements in digital technology have enhanced simulation training for passengers, ensuring they are adequately prepared for their journey into space. Traditional training regimens have been replaced or supplemented with virtual reality simulations that mimic the conditions passengers face during real-life space travel.

Decreasing Costs of Space Travel 

Until recently, space travel was a far-fetched concept for many due to its high costs. However, with advancements in technology and economies of scale brought about by increased production, the cost of reaching space has been gradually decreasing. This drop in cost has been instrumental in opening up opportunities for commercial space tourism activities.

Lower costs not only make space tourism more commercially viable but also facilitate a greater frequency of trips. As the accessibility of journeys to space rises, the industry appeals to a larger segment of consumers looking to satisfy their curiosity about the cosmos beyond our planet.

Of course, initially, space tourism will be affordable only for the wealthiest people on Earth. However, if air travel is anything to go by, we can expect major cost reductions in space travel in the coming decades. 

Prospects and Opportunities for Investment in Space Tourism 

Space tourism presents a cornucopia of exciting investment opportunities that promise significant returns.

Human Habitats in Space – A Potential Venture 

One promising venture is the development of human habitats in space. Although this idea may sound like a sci-fi novel concept, it is a pursuit that established aerospace corporations and ambitious startups are earnestly exploring. Picture luxury hotels orbiting Earth, offering tourists an unmatched glimpse of the cosmos and the blue planet. Investments in such ventures are not only likely to reap hefty financial rewards but also pioneer the frontier for human settlements in space.

Impact of Emerging Technologies like VR/AR in Space Tourism

Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) have huge potential to revolutionize the tourism industry, including space tourism. These technologies can provide immersive experiences for passengers, delivering a taste of space before they even leave Earth. It can also play a crucial role in training tourists for potential physical and psychological challenges during the trip. Therefore, investing in these technologies can open up lucrative doors for state-of-the-art training simulations or pre-trip experiences.

Collaboration Opportunities with Established Aerospace Firms

For investors keen on entering this burgeoning market, collaboration with existing aerospace firms could be an attractive prospect. These firms possess expertise, resources, and existing infrastructures that new entrants into the market would benefit from cooperating or partnering with. Such partnerships could lower entry barriers for newcomers, speed up project timelines, and reduce potential risks.

Invest in Promising SpaceTech Companies With OurCrowd 

At OurCrowd, we help fund multiple promising space technology start-ups, allowing you to break into the industry by investing in companies before they even go public. The Balerion Space Ventures Fund is one such example. With us, you have the chance to get your foot in the door of the rapidly growing space technology industry before the vast majority of investors catch on.

Join OurCrowd and explore our unique investment opportunities.

Become an Investor Today!

Frequently Asked Questions 

When will commercial space travel be available.

Commercial space travel is an exciting frontier that we're steadily approaching. Companies like SpaceX, Virgin Galactic, and Blue Origin are actively investing in technology to make space tourism a reality. While Virgin Galactic has already started offering spots for suborbital space flights, their services are currently only available to a limited number of high-paying customers. SpaceX aims to send tourists around the moon by 2025 and is planning further manned missions to Mars. It's hard to give an exact timeline, but industry experts predict that affordable and regular commercial space travel will become a reality within the next 10-20 years. 

How safe and feasible is space tourism as an investment opportunity? 

Investing in space tourism is still considered speculative but with promising potential. Any space-related venture carries an inherent risk—the technology needed to reach and operate safely in space is complex and expensive. However, the potential payoff if space tourism becomes mainstream could be immense. Many investors view this as a formative time in the commercialization of space, similar to the early days of internet startups. Companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin have shown considerable progress, suggesting a future where space tourism becomes commonplace. As with all investments, potential investors should carefully consider their risk tolerance and do extensive research before investing. 

What advancements can we anticipate in space technology that could impact tourism? 

The advancements in space technology are broad, each driving us closer to easily accessible outer space travel. Looking forward, we will see improvements in rocket reusability, which will significantly reduce costs associated with launch—and hence passenger tickets. Scientists are also investigating different propulsion systems like nuclear thermal engines for fast transportation to far-flung destinations like Mars. Innovative designs for habitable modules are being conceptualized for comfortable stays in low-earth orbit or moon hotels. Advancements are also expected in spacesuit technology for civilian use so that tourists can enjoy extravehicular activities. Lastly, improvements in communication technology will keep space tourists well-connected with Earth, easing fears and ensuring safety.

• https://www.cnbc.com/2021/07/21/ubs-says-space-tourism-could-be-a-4b-market-by-2030-how-to-play-it.html
• https://www.morganstanley.com/ideas/investing-in-space

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Space Tourism

• First Online: 01 January 2023

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• Francesca Pagliara   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-6332-6313 11  

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Space is no longer the domain of just professional astronauts or for scientific explorations; it is now accessible to all, even for recreation. The platform is ready for people to explore Space, up to the Karman Line, or the International Space Station (ISS, and efforts have begun to visit even the Moon and Mars.

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Dileep, M.R., Pagliara, F. (2023). Space Tourism. In: Transportation Systems for Tourism. Advances in Spatial Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-22127-9_14

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The rise of space tourism could affect Earth's climate in unforeseen ways, scientists worry

Are the effects of rocket launches on the atmosphere really negligible?

Scientists worry that growing numbers of rocket flights and the rise of space tourism could harm Earth's atmosphere and contribute to climate change. 

When billionaires Richard Branson and Jeff Bezos soared into space this month aboard their companies' suborbital tourism vehicles, much of the world clapped in awe. 

But for some scientists, these milestones represented something other than just a technical accomplishment. Achieved after years of delays and despite significant setbacks , the flights marked the potential beginning of a long-awaited era that might see rockets fly through the so-far rather pristine upper layers of the atmosphere far more often than they do today. In the case of SpaceShipTwo, the vehicle operated by Branson's Virgin Galactic, these flights are powered by a hybrid engine that burns rubber and leaves behind a cloud of soot.

"Hybrid engines can use different types of fuels, but they always generate a lot of soot," said Filippo Maggi, associate professor of aerospace engineering at Politecnico di Milano, Italy, who researches rocket propulsion technologies and was part of a team that several years ago published an extensive analysis of hybrid rocket engine emissions. "These engines work like a candle, and their burning process creates conditions that are favorable for soot generation."

Related: Air pollution from reentering megaconstellation satellites could cause ozone hole 2.0

According to Dallas Kasaboski, principal analyst at the space consultancy Northern Sky Research, a single Virgin Galactic suborbital space tourism flight, lasting about an hour and a half, can generate as much pollution as a 10-hour trans-Atlantic flight. Some scientists consider that disconcerting, in light of Virgin Galactic’s ambitions to fly paying tourists to the edge of space several times a day.

"Even if the suborbital tourism market is launching at a fraction of the number of launches compared to the rest of the [tourism] industry, each of their flights has a much higher contribution, and that could be a problem," Kasaboski told Space.com.

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Virgin Galactic's rockets are, of course, not the only culprits. All rocket motors burning hydrocarbon fuels generate soot, Maggi said. Solid rocket engines, such as those used in the past in the boosters of NASA's space shuttle , burn metallic compounds and emit aluminum oxide particles together with hydrochloric acid, both of which have a damaging effect on the atmosphere.

The BE-3 engine that powers Blue Origin's New Shepard suborbital vehicle, on the other hand, combines liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen to create thrust. The BE-3 is not a big polluter compared to other rocket engines, emitting mainly water along with some minor combustion products, experts say .

Too little is known

For Karen Rosenlof, senior scientist at the Chemical Sciences Laboratory at the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the biggest problem is that rockets pollute the higher layers of the atmosphere — the stratosphere, which starts at an altitude of about 6.2 miles (10 kilometers), and the mesosphere, which goes upward from 31 miles (50 km). 

"You are emitting pollutants in places where you don't normally emit it," Rosenlof told Space.com. "We really need to understand. If we increase these things, what is the potential damage?"

So far, the impact of rocket launches on the atmosphere has been negligible, according to Martin Ross, an atmospheric scientist at the Aerospace Corporation who often works with Rosenlof. But that's simply because there have not been that many launches. 

"The amount of fuel currently burned by the space industry is less than 1% of the fuel burned by aviation," Ross told Space.com. "So there has not been a lot of research, and that makes sense. But things are changing in a way that suggests that we should learn about this in more detail."

Northern Sky Research predicts that the number of space tourism flights will skyrocket over the next decade, from maybe 10 a year in the near future to 360 a year by 2030, Kasaboski said. This estimate is still far below the growth rate that space tourism companies like Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin envision for themselves. 

"Demand for suborbital tourism is extremely high," Kasaboski said. "These companies virtually have customers waiting in a line, and therefore they want to scale up. Ultimately, they would want to fly multiple times a day, just like short-haul aircraft do."

The rate of rocket launches delivering satellites into orbit is expected to grow as well. But Kasaboski sees bigger potential for growth in space tourism. 

"It's like the difference between a cargo flight and a passenger flight," Kasaboski said. "There's a lot more passengers that are looking to fly."

The problem is, according to Ross, that the scientific community has no idea and not enough data to tell at what point rocket launches will start having a measurable effect on the planet's climate. At the same time, the stratosphere is already changing as the number of rocket launches sneakily grows.

"The impacts of these [rocket-generated] particles are not well understood even to an order of magnitude, the factor of 10," Ross said. "The uncertainty is large, and we need to narrow that down and predict how space might be impacting the atmosphere."

Space shuttle's ozone holes 

So far, the only direct measurements of the effects of rocket launches on chemical processes in the atmosphere come from the space shuttle era. In the 1990s, as the world was coming together to salvage the damaged ozone layer , NASA, NOAA and the U.S. Air Force put together a campaign that looked at the effects of the emissions from the space shuttle's solid fuel boosters on ozone in the stratosphere. 

"In the 1990s, there were significant concerns about chlorine from solid rocket motors," Ross said. "Chlorine is the bad guy to ozone in the stratosphere, and there were some models which suggested that ozone depletion from solid rocket motors would be very significant."

The scientists used NASA's WB 57 high-altitude aircraft to fly through the plumes generated by the space shuttle rockets in Florida. Reaching altitudes of up to 60,000 feet (19 km), they were able to measure the chemical reactions in the lower stratosphere just after the rockets' passage. 

"One of the fundamental questions was how much chlorine is being made in these solid rocket motors and in what form," David Fahey, the director of the Chemical Sciences Laboratory at NOAA, who led the study, told Space.com. "We measured it several times and then analyzed the results. At that time, there were not enough space shuttle launches to make a difference globally, but locally one could deplete the ozone layer due to this diffuse plume [left behind by the rocket]."

The space shuttle retired 10 years ago, but rockets generating ozone-damaging substances continue launching humans and satellites to space today. 

In fact, in 2018, in its latest Scientific Assessment of Ozone Depletion , which comes out every four years, the World Meteorological Organization included rockets as a potential future concern. The organization called for more research to be done as the number of launches is expected to increase.  

Worse than geoengineering 

Rosenlof's team studies the broader effects of human-made substances in the higher layers of the atmosphere using powerful NOAA supercomputers. The work is akin to predicting the proverbial butterfly effect, the influence of minuscule changes in the chemistry of the air tens of miles above Earth on climate and weather patterns on the ground. For her, black carbon, or soot, emitted by rockets burning hydrocarbon fuels, is of particular concern.

"The problem with soot is that it absorbs ultraviolet light, and that means that it could heat the stratosphere," Rosenlof said. "When you start heating the stratosphere, the layer above the troposphere [closest to the ground], you start changing the motion in the stratosphere. You are changing the energy transfer, and that could actually affect what is happening on the ground."

Rosenlof points out that many of the particles generated by some rockets have been of interest to scientists due to the possible effects they could have on the global climate in a different context — that of geoengineering , the deliberate tampering with the atmosphere with the aim of stopping or mitigating global warming. 

Rosenlof recently co-authored a paper that used the same powerful NOAA supercomputers to model what the scientists call a climate intervention. The team was interested in the climate effects of dispersing sulfur dioxide particles, which are known to reflect light away from Earth, in combination with soot (which is also part of rocket emissions) in the lower stratosphere. Soot absorbs energy from sunlight and pushes the sulfur dioxide aerosol particles to a higher altitude by warming up the surrounding air. At that higher altitude, the sulfur dioxide can start its climate-cooling work. The experiment modeled what would happen when 1.1 million tons of sunlight-reflecting sulfur dioxide mixed with 11,000 tons of black carbon were released in the upper troposphere by aircraft over a 10-day period. 

The study didn't find any significant negative effects on weather on Earth. Yet, those results do not dispel Rosenlof's concerns about the possible risks associated with the growing number of rocket launches. 

Altering the jet stream

"Black carbon in the geoengineering experiment that we did isn't as high as the stuff from these rockets," she said. "The problem is that the higher you go, the longer something lasts. Neither of them is ideal, because either of them would produce heating in places where we don't have heating right now."

According to Maggi, the soot particles generated by hybrid rocket engines are extremely small and light-weight. In fact, when he and his colleagues tried to measure the soot output of hybrid rocket engines in a laboratory, they couldn't reliably do it with precision because of the particles' minuscule size. 

"We were able to measure the particle output from solid rocket motors," Maggi said. "These are about a micron in size, and there [are] a lot of them. But because they are large, they fall to the ground more quickly. In hybrid rocket engines, we were not able to collect the soot from the plume because it's extremely fine, a few nanometres in size."

Maggi fears these particles could, in fact, stay in the stratosphere forever.

"They have the same size as the carbon emitted by aircrafts," Maggi said. "And we know that there is a layer of carbon in the atmosphere at the flight level of aircrafts which is staying there. It's very likely that particles coming from rocket motors will do the same."

The accumulation of these particles over years and decades is what worries the scientists. Just as the current climate crisis started relatively slowly as the amount of carbon released into the atmosphere grew, the pollution in the stratosphere may only start causing harm some years down the road.

Rosenlof added that in the long term, injecting pollutants into the stratosphere could alter the polar jet stream, change winter storm patterns or affect average rainfall. 

"You might go from 25 inches [64 centimeters] a year to 20 inches [51 cm] a year in some places, which maybe doesn't sound like that big of a deal unless you are a farmer trying to grow your wheat right there," Rosenlof said. "Then a subtle change in rainfall can impact your crop yields."

Work to be done 

For this reason, Fahey says, it is critical that scientific work starts now to evaluate the future risks. 

"There is this fundamental gap where we just don't have the numbers, and that means that the science is limited because we have this lack of information," he said. "We feel it is part of our responsibility [at NOAA] to assess the impact of human activity on the stratosphere. Rockets are a principal and unique source [of stratospheric pollution], the launch frequencies are increasing and the effects are accumulating."

Fahey envisions a wider research program that would analyze the emissions and impacts of individual types of rocket engines and fuels on the stratosphere. The data could be used in Rosenlof's models to better predict the effects in accordance with the expected growth of the number of launches. Fahey, however, says that a political decision would have to come first to provide NOAA and its partners with funding that would enable them to take the high-altitude aircraft to the sky again and gather the data. The good news is, he added, that the U.S. Congress seems to be aware of the problem and things might soon start to move. 

"We would like to see a national program run by NOAA or the Air Force that would develop a database with basic emission characteristics of modern propulsion systems based on observations," he said. "We could gather some data in ground tests but also in the same way that we did with the space shuttle — by flying through the plumes just after launch."

Follow Tereza Pultarova on Twitter @TerezaPultarova. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook . 

Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: [email protected].

Tereza is a London-based science and technology journalist, aspiring fiction writer and amateur gymnast. Originally from Prague, the Czech Republic, she spent the first seven years of her career working as a reporter, script-writer and presenter for various TV programmes of the Czech Public Service Television. She later took a career break to pursue further education and added a Master's in Science from the International Space University, France, to her Bachelor's in Journalism and Master's in Cultural Anthropology from Prague's Charles University. She worked as a reporter at the Engineering and Technology magazine, freelanced for a range of publications including Live Science, Space.com, Professional Engineering, Via Satellite and Space News and served as a maternity cover science editor at the European Space Agency.

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