Traveling to space is probably the dream of many people; however, it is a whim that only people with a lot of money can indulge in. Below, we present the prices that some of the main space lines charge
Traveling to space is undoubtedly the dream of many people. An analysis by Value Penguin revealed that 49% of people would like to have this experience except for one problem: money.
Something that the first commercial trips to space have hinted at is that, judging by the price, it is not a whim that anyone can indulge in.
Since actor William Shatner flew into space together with Amazon founder Jeff Bezos in June 2021, through the Blue Origin flight, 1% of super-rich people said they were ready to embark on an adventure through space.
Below are some of the current rates on the major space lines and an estimate of what you can expect to pay.
Virgin Galactic
Those who take a flight on Virgin Galactic will experience weightlessness, grandiose views of Earth and a life-changing transformation through an innovative spaceflight system, the website says.
The flight, which is designed to carry only four passengers, lasts 90 minutes. Once the spacecraft has reached space and its engine is off, passengers can unfasten their seat belts and float out to one of 17 windows for stunning views of Earth.
In February 2022, Business Insider said that the space line opened the sale of tickets for commercial flights with prices of $450,000 per person, including a deposit of $150,000. Those who wish to fly must previously fill out a form by email.
Blue Origin
Like Virgin Galactic, Blue Origin is also asking people interested in flying to fill out an application for the six-seat New Shepard crew capsule. Among the information requested, they are asked to share some of the most notable adventures and achievements they have experienced and what excites them most about the experience with the space line.
In 2021 The New York Times said the company began accepting space flight reservations and was approaching $100 million in sales.
Although Blue Origin has not made public the prices of its tickets, it is known that in July 2021 a seat was auctioned for $28 million dollars after the person who paid for it was unable to travel.
SpaceX
The space company run by Elon Musk has had 181 launches in total. In 2021, The New York Times reported on the mission known as Inspiration4 that raised more than $160 million for St. Jude Hospital, plus an additional $50 million from Musk. Although the numbers of the trip were not made public, it is estimated that they could be around the same as it costs to fly on Blue Origin.
Axiom Space
In addition to these options, in the first months of the year it was announced that Axiom Space, based in Houston, operated a mission to the International Space Station (ISS) in which each of the three crew members paid $55 million dollars for 10 days in space: two for the journeys and 8 within the NASA facilities.
Although spaceflight is in its early stages, there are still many questions about the future of the business, which at the moment its clientele is reduced to the 1% of the world’s population with the most money.