{"id":25146,"date":"2019-03-26T11:33:58","date_gmt":"2019-03-26T00:33:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/slingadventures.com\/?p=25146"},"modified":"2019-03-26T15:12:30","modified_gmt":"2019-03-26T04:12:30","slug":"space-tourism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/slingadventures.com\/travel-hacks\/space-tourism","title":{"rendered":"Space Tourism"},"content":{"rendered":"Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin took the first steps upon the moon 50 years ago this July. Since then only 10 others have followed in their still-visible footprints. While 570 people have been into space, only 7 of these have been what we would call space tourists. However, a flurry of new operators are seeking to increase that number, a lot. It seems that fifty years on from these 'first steps\u00a0for mankind' a new space race is on. The race to dominate space tourism.<\/strong>\r\n\r\nCommercialisation of space has been around ever since the first satellite 'Early-bird' was launched in 1965 to improve communications across the Atlantic. This commercialisation though has failed, until recently, to take paying civilians into space. In the last few decades what was science fiction is becoming more of a reality thanks to a few big-thinking entrepreneurs.\r\n\r\nWith space tourism within the realms of reality what are the options? What would the first guide to space tourism look like? How would you get there? Where can you stay? What can you do? And, can you actually phone home? Well this guide seeks to answer these seemingly far-fetched questions with what may actually be possible. Then, should you come into some money, the allure of space travel might be within arms reach.\r\n

Where Can I Go in Space as a Tourist?<\/h2>\r\n
\"suborbital-orbital-space-travel\"

There are 3 distinct parts of space to choose from.<\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\nDeciding what part of 'space' you want to go to first will determine which company you choose to travel with. This will greatly impact the experience you have and also the cost. The current destinations in space being planned for space tourism are:\r\n

Sub-orbital space<\/h3>\r\nThis is a quick trip out of the earth's atmosphere. This passes what is known as the\u00a0K\u00e1rm\u00e1n line\u00a0which is 100km (62 miles) above the surface of the earth. This allows a passenger to experience 5-10 minutes of weightlessness, take a few photos of the curvature of the earth, see more stars than they can imagine and then return to earth.\r\n\r\nIndicative Cost:<\/strong> Up to $250,000.\r\n

Orbital space<\/h3>\r\nAs the name suggests, orbital space involves going far enough to enter the Earth's orbit. It also is classified as competing at least one lap of Earth. Typically, these trips will include a few nights stay at the International Space Station or a future station yet to be built.\r\n\r\nIndicative Cost:<\/strong> Starts from $20 million.\r\n

Interplanetary space<\/h3>\r\nThink trips to the Moon or Mars. These are really the only interplanetary options being touted at the moment. Mainly because they are the only viable options that are close enough to realistically reach or hospitable enough to get close to or land on.\r\n\r\nIndicative Cost:\u00a0<\/strong>A fly-by of the Moon has been estimated at $150 million.\r\n

Space Flight Operators for Tourists<\/h2>\r\nThere are many non-government commercial space operators today, although only a few are focused on developing space tourism. Depending on the destination, budget and activities you want to undertake, the following operators are currently the closest to offering space tourists a seat in the foreseeable future.\r\n

Space Adventures<\/h3>\r\n
\"space-adventures\"

Space Adventures has flown the 7 first and only space tourists.<\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\nSpace Adventures<\/a> is the only space tourism operation to have already transported tourists into space. Space Adventures have taken 7 passengers, each on separate missions, and docked at the International Space Station which allowed guests to stay on for up to 10 days before returning to earth. The first space tourist aboard Space Adventures was Dennis Tito back in 2001.\r\n\r\nSpace Adventures, while still in operation and planning more trips, relies on other aircraft to take passengers and have not transported any new passengers since 2009.\r\n