There are plenty of things that we still don’t know about space. We have not discovered every planet in our solar system, and the mysteries of the universe still remain a topic for further research. However, it is also true that we have learned a lot about space in recent years. It seems like there are new details coming to light almost every day. One of the greatest challenges we face as a society is how to make space travel safer and more accessible to ordinary people. Thanks to companies like Blue Origin, commercial spaceflight has now become more affordable and accessible than ever before. Many private companies want us to believe that traveling into space as a tourist is impossible, but that’s just not the case. Here, we list some of the best examples of private companies offering trips into space as a tourist.
Virgin Galactic
Virgin Galactic will be the first private space tourism company to send people into space from the ground. The company has partnered with Virgin Air to create a space travel experience for tourists. Virgin Galactic is led by CEO, George W. Shnoeld, and is based in New Mexico. The company has been working toward sending tourists into space since 2004. Virgin Galactic has been successful in sending multiple unmanned test flights into space, and they’ve also sent humans to the edge of space. The first Virgin Galactic space tourism flight took place on October 31, 2018. On this first flight, Virgin Galactic sent two crew members and two passengers into space. The passengers were Sir Richard Branson and his children. Sir Richard Branson completed a spaceflight before he died in 1990. Virgin Galactic has plans to send at least 100 tourists into space before the year ends.
Blue Origin
Blue Origin is a space tourism company founded by Jeff Bezos, the man behind Amazon. Blue Origin has been around since 2000, and they are also based in New Mexico. The company was initially named Blue Rock and later changed to Blue Origin. After 15 years of work, Blue Origin finally got their New Shepard suborbital spacecraft off the ground in April 2015. The New Shepard spacecraft is a reusable rocket-spaceship combination that will deliver tourists to the suborbital space. Suborbital space means that the spaceship won’t go past the border of space. New Shepard has already been used for 10 test flights, and Blue Origin hopes to send tourists into space by the end of 2019. Blue Origin is also working on a much larger rocket called New Glenn. It will be the largest rocket ever constructed and will make space travel more affordable and accessible. Blue Origin will be happy to welcome you as a tourist if you have the money to pay for it.
SpaceX
SpaceX is another company that wants to make space travel more accessible to tourists. SpaceX was founded in 2002 by Elon Musk, who also co-founded Tesla Motors. SpaceX is based in California, and they’re arguably the most accomplished private space company in the world. SpaceX was founded with the goal of making space travel more accessible. They offer a wide range of services, including launching satellites, transporting cargo, and building a space tourism network. SpaceX has already sent several unmanned rockets into space, and they currently have three astronauts on board the International Space Station. SpaceX has already launched the first tourists into space, and they plan to send more in the near future. Elon Musk has said that the company will be ready to take tourists into space in 2023.
Boeing
Boeing is one of the biggest aerospace companies in the world. They’re also one of the world’s biggest aircraft manufacturers, and they’ve been around since 1916. Boeing is based in Washington, and they’re aiming to make space tourism more accessible. Boeing has been working towards creating a space tourism network since the 1990s. They’re currently developing a new spacecraft called the CST-100 Starliner that they plan to use for space tourism. The CST-100 Starliner will be able to send six astronauts into space at once. Boeing is working with NASA under the Commercial Crew program to make the CST-100 Starliner ready for spaceflight. Boeing is planning to launch their first space tourism mission in 2022. Boeing is one of the biggest companies in the world, so they’re capable of sending tourists into space.
Orbital ATK
Orbital ATK is a company that is mostly known for its missiles, boosters, and spaceflight services. The company was founded in 1982, and they have a wide network of government contracts. Orbital ATK is based in Virginia, and they’re one of the biggest space tourism companies in the world. They have partnerships with NASA and Roscosmos, so they’re more than capable of sending people into space. Orbital ATK is currently developing a new rocket called the Omega that will be used for space tourism. The Omega is expected to launch an unmanned spacecraft into orbit in 2020 and send tourists into space the following year. Orbital ATK also has plans to send tourists to the moon on the Omega. If you’re interested in traveling into space as a tourist, you could do a lot worse than choosing Orbital ATK.