The Future Of Space Travel For Tourists: Things To Look Forward To In 2020 And Beyond

The future of space exploration

1. Emerging space industry with commercial and private companies

In 2012, SpaceX became the first private company to launch a payload into orbit, send cargo to the International Space Station, and return it to Earth intact. Before this, only government space agencies like NASA and Russia’s Roscosmos could launch spacecraft into space or in orbit. This marked a milestone in the advancement of space exploration, as a new trend of private space companies emerged to create the commercial space industry. Now, companies like SpaceX and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin are working with NASA in contract projects worth billions of dollars. However, long time aerospace companies like Boeing and Lockheed Martin have been NASA partners for decades, with Boeing building the first Lunar Roving Vehicle for the Apollo missions. Both companies have a joint venture, United Launch Alliance, to build rockets as a platform on which several commercial ventures plan to launch their spacecraft.

Now, NASA has opened its doors to collaborating with the private sector, most notably with its Commercial Crew Program. Since the retirement of the Space Shuttle program in 2011, NASA astronauts have been going to space aboard the International Space Station, with the Russians in their Soyuz rockets. That’s all about to change as NASA partners up with the likes of SpaceX and Boeing to send NASA astronauts using private spacecraft in the near future. Finally, private space companies are gearing up and racing toward space tourism. Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic aims to send people into suborbital flights, where space tourists can experience zero gravity and see Earth from space.

This new level of collaboration between the government and private sectors will surely increase the speed and efficiency in advancing space exploration, not only for scientific research but also for industry and tourism. It’s been estimated that the space industry will be worth a trillion dollars in the next few decades.

2. Space tourism

In 2001, Space Adventures sent the first space tourist, Dennis Tito, aboard the International Space Station. Dennis Tito paid a whopping 20 million USD to Space Adventures, which acted as a “space travel agency” and negotiated a deal for Dennis Tito to train and travel with Russian cosmonauts to the ISS. Since then, Space Adventures had sent several “space tourists” in orbit aboard the space station and is currently offering a handful of private space tours such as zero-gravity flights and spacewalks. Space Adventure’s services may seem expensive and exclusive, but a few companies emerged to make space tourism more accessible to the public. As mentioned above, Virgin Galactic is developing a special spacecraft to carry passengers into suborbital flights, with 600 tickets already sold for 250,000 USD per person. It may still cost a lot, but at least it’s less than the millions Dennis Tito paid for!

On another front, SpaceX secured its first customer to fly around the moon, with Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa as part of its Lunar BFR Mission, which is scheduled to fly in 2023. SpaceX’s ultimate mission is to send people to Mars, something that we are all dreaming about.

Recently, NASA has announced as well that it will be opening up the International Space Station for private individuals. Ticket cost is estimated at 35,000 USD per day, not including the cost of the spaceflight to the ISS. Flying to the Space Station will be covered by private companies such as SpaceX and Boeing, which could cost over 60 million USD.

Finally, a space hotel concept designed as a space station is currently being designed by a company called Orion Span. These are just a taste of what we can look forward to when our dreams of visiting space finally become a reality.

3. Back to the Moon: Future lunar landings

The last manned mission to the Moon was during the Apollo 17 back in 1972. Since then, no human has been back to walk on the lunar surface. Recently, NASA has launched the new Artemis Project that aims to send the first woman and the next man to the Moon. Working with private companies and international partners, the project will push for further exploration of the Moon and establish a more permanent human presence on the lunar surface, which will then serve as the base for kickstarting the mission to Mars. One major feature of the Artemis mission is Gateway, a spaceship that will orbit around the Moon similar to the International Space Station. This will also serve as the crew’s living quarters and research laboratory. This promising new project will help get us back on the Moon, as this is part of NASA’s “Moon-to-Mars” program. Definitely, this is set to become another giant leap for mankind.

4. First Spaceliner: SpaceX Starship

SpaceX is currently developing and testing a new launch vehicle, Starship, which will primarily be intended for cargo and as a passenger spacecraft. It’s being developed and designed for deep space travel to the Moon and even to Mars. A version of this design is also intended for use as a lunar landing vehicle in NASA’s Artemis program. But what’s interesting about this space vehicle is that it could theoretically carry up to 100 passengers in a single flight and could also be the first spaceliner. SpaceX says Starship will have private cabins, common areas, and even observation decks - features common to cruise ships.

More than that, Starship’s specifications suggest that it has a theoretical use for Earth-to-Earth flights, traveling from one country to another in just an hour or less. As of now, the company does not have any plans to pursue this, but just imagine how would it feel to have your next international flight on a rocket!

Future space missions that could impact space tourism

5. New Mars rovers

NASA has sent several rovers to Mars over the years to gather and analyze samples and learn more about the Red Planet. Currently, Mars’ Curiosity rover has been operational for more than 2,000 days on the planet. But our search for life on Mars is not over, as NASA has plans to launch a new rover called Perseverance in late 2020. This new Mars rover will focus on finding ancient life and collect samples to return to Earth for further analyses.

After a successful landing of a probe on the far side of the Moon, China will also send a Mars rover named HX-1, also to be launched in late 2020. With similar objectives to NASA’s Perseverance, this rover will also search for signs of life and examine the environment on Mars.

While these do not directly contribute to the development of space tourism just yet, learning more about our neighbor planet will be beneficial and help us understand it better as we prepare to explore it in the near future.

6. New spacecrafts and technologies

Every time a rocket launches, it costs on average hundreds of millions of dollars just to build, develop, test, and launch into space. That is why space travel is very expensive. It’s also a major reason why we haven’t had another man on the Moon since the last Apollo mission in 1972. One major thing that makes it expensive is due to the launching system, which is built and discarded after each launch. It has been a challenge to create a reusable launch system. That’s what SpaceX has taken up to build and they have been successful so far with their Falcon 9 rocket. Basically, after the rocket launches and falls back through the atmosphere, it will reignite its engines and land on a drone recovery ship. SpaceX also has a modular approach to its rocket design, similar to how automobile manufacturing is streamlined. Already mentioned above is Starship, which will be the primary launch vehicle of SpaceX for future space missions.

As NASA is actively preparing to go back to the Moon with Project Artemis, new space vehicles and launching systems are in the works. It’s about time since they retired the Space Shuttle program in 2011. With Space Launch System, NASA’s new powerful rocket will send both cargo and humans inside the new Orion spacecraft, which is designed for long-duration flights and has more life support and enhanced emergency and abort systems.

These are just some of the highlights of present and emerging space technologies. Other companies like Blue Orion and Boeing are developing spacecraft and other systems in collaboration with Project Artemis. The future of launch systems and the reusability of rockets have a direct effect on the future of space travel, which will make it more cost-effective and accessible, thereby making it more efficient and affordable for space tourism.

7. Beyond the Solar System: Alpha Centauri

Founded by Stephen Hawking, Mark Zuckerberg, and Yuri Milner, this ambitious project aims to cross boundaries and reach the nearest star outside of our solar system. Just 4 light-years away (over 25 trillion miles) is Alpha Centauri, a triple-star system. The project aims to utilize a new technology of light-powered space travel. This would involve a ground-based light beamer that would push miniature space probes called “nanocrafts” to speeds of up to 100 million miles an hour. If made possible, it could allow a flight to reach Alpha Centauri in just over 20 years. Furthermore, it could take images of a recently-discovered planet, Proxima b, and gather other scientific data. While this will be an unmanned space voyage, it could also be the basis for new technologies for deep space travel.

Current and future space flights for tourists

8. High altitude jet fighter flight

There is a Swiss company, MiGFlug, that offers civilians a glimpse of space. Called the Edge of Space flight, passengers will ride on a jet fighter plane that follows a ballistic flight path similar to a cannonball, climbing to altitudes of up to 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) in the stratosphere. The experience will take you to see the curvature of the earth, where the sky turns very dark above. You will be able to spot some stars as well. The only thing higher at this point is the International Space Station. The jet fighter plane is currently the only available supersonic flight for civilians. It costs 17,500 EUR (19,700 USD) for a 50-minute flight, and the experience actually takes place at an airbase in Russia.

9. Zero Gravity flight

We’ve all seen it the movies - astronauts floating around in space. Weightlessness used to be something only professional astronauts could experience. But a few companies today are currently providing zero-gravity adventures for the public. American company Zero Gravity Corporation uses a modified Boeing 727 that goes on a parabolic flight. The plane will fly on a steep angle (45 degrees) and then descend down. The process is then repeated over the course of the flight, which creates a free-fall effect similar to skydiving, producing weightlessness for everyone inside the plane. The company is offering zero-g experiences starting at 5,400 USD per person. Likewise, the Swiss company MiGFlug is also offering zero-gravity flights at 5,600 EUR (6,300 USD) per person.

10. Suborbital flight

Suborbital flight is one of the most exciting space adventures out there, where you get to reach space but not entirely leave Earth. Basically, the flight will ascend to the end of the atmosphere at an altitude of 100 kilometers (62 miles) - called the “Karman Line”, or the boundary between Earth and outer space - but not enough to reach orbit. The flight will then descend back to Earth.

Suborbital flights follow a trajectory similar to ballistic missiles, and when it reaches space, passengers can experience weightlessness and enjoy a heavenly view of the Earth from above. For commercial flights, space vehicles are designed to have safety landing systems, such as a parachute.

Blue Origin, founded by Jeff Bezos, uses a parachute that will allow passengers to experience that period of weightlessness. Blue Origin is currently developing its New Shepard space vehicle, which is designed for space tourism, with a passenger capsule and a reusable rocket. The company has announced that it will start selling tickets for commercial flights, estimated to cost hundreds of dollars. Meanwhile, Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic company has already sold 600 reserved tickets at 250,000 USD each, as it advances the development of its proprietary launch vehicle - a combined launcher carrier (“White Knight Two”) and passenger carrier (“SpaceShipTwo”). White Knight Two is a pair of planes carrying SpaceShipTwo, which will detach when it reaches space. The passenger cabin has more windows than any other spacecraft and was designed for the best viewing experience.

11. Orbital spaceflight

Unlike suborbital flights, an orbital flight is longer, usually lasting a few days to a week, depending on the mission. The NASA Gemini XI mission in 1966 flew in low-earth orbit for 3 days and encircled the Earth 44 times! In contrast, the International Space Station is orbiting the Earth at a slightly higher altitude, completing 15 orbits a day, with astronauts working inside for months depending on the mission profile.

But for space tourists, Space Adventures is offering to fly private civilians using the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and their Falcon 9 launch vehicle, which SpaceX is using to transport cargo to the ISS as part of its partnership with NASA. The adventure will follow the same low-orbit profile as the Gemini XI mission and will allow up to four private citizens per flight. The offered flight is custom-made and exclusive, so the cost remains undisclosed, and a formal inquiry is required to get a quote, depending on the make-up of the passengers.

12. International Space Station

In 2001, Space Adventures sent the very first space tourist aboard the International Space Station. The passenger, Dennis Tito, had trained with the Russian cosmonauts and rode with them in a Soyuz capsule that launched into space. Dennis Tito paid 20 million USD for the trip. Since then, Space Adventures has sent several more people to the ISS in partnership with the Russian space agency Roscosmos. That partnership continues to this day, as the two have signed a deal to launch a flight in 2021 for tourists to stay in the ISS.

NASA has also announced that it will open the International Space Station to private tourists. Tickets are estimated at 35,000 USD per day, and another estimated 60 million USD for the actual flight to the ISS, which will be covered by private companies such as SpaceX and Boeing.

The trip to the ISS may cost a lot, but it’s a start for the public to gain access to the Space Station and share the experience with professional astronauts. However, don’t rule out the heavy training and preparation - it’s not just the money that you’ll need to worry about!

13. Space Hotel: Aurora Space Station

Editor's Note: There's no photo available at the time of writing

Orion Span is a company that is developing a space hotel concept designed as a low-orbit space station. It will feature spacious interiors, large observation windows, personal sleeping quarters, great food, and plenty of activities like experiments, exercise, scientific missions, and more! The company is promoting the 12-day adventure as a “full astronaut experience”. Training programs are offered before and during the experience inside the hotel space station, so official certificates will be issued. The space hotel is also considered an orbital flight since it will be in full orbit around the Earth. A waitlist is actually now open, with prices starting at 9.5 million USD per passenger. Probably not in our usual hotel accommodation budget, but definitely an experience of a lifetime!

14. Lunar orbit

In 2018, SpaceX finally announced its first private passenger to fly around the Moon. Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa will participate in the Lunar BFR Mission that is scheduled to launch in 2023. Yusaku even created a reality TV show to look for a partner who will accompany him to space but eventually canceled it.

Similarly, Space Adventures is also offering a “tour package” to send two tourists and one astronaut aboard a Russian space vehicle on a trajectory around the Moon. This experience is offered at a private custom price depending on the tourist’s requests and timeline.

The first crew to fly around the Moon was the Apollo 8 mission in 1968, and they completed 10 lunar orbits. The experience will definitely be an amazing one since passengers will be able to see the far side of the Moon and catch a glimpse of the Earth rising above on the horizon as the flight circles back.

Crossing boundaries to the edge of the cosmos

Mankind has come a long way, pushing its limits to achieve something greater than before. And we continue to do that as we look to the future. Challenges such as cost-effective rockets that will make spaceflights cheaper and the biological effects of space radiation are certainly important factors that will keep us pushing and moving forward. Our curiosity will always drive us further, but our safety and that of the environment is just as important. But no matter how it’s achieved, mankind will surely transcend and cross boundaries that will eventually take us to the edge of the Universe.