Space travel has long been synonymous with astronauts conducting scientific research. But in recent years, we’ve also seen billionaire tech moguls, celebrities and other civilians venture into the cosmos thanks to the emerging “space tourism” sector. Whether it’s a momentary slingshot into Earth’s orbit or a weeks-long stay at the International Space Station, space tourism companies like Blue Origin, Virgin Galactic and SpaceX are beginning to offer out-of-this-world experiences, with the goal of leaving space travelers with a deeper connection to our planet and humanity in general.
Space Tourism Definition
Space tourism is an industry that allows non-astronauts to travel to space. Some companies send these travelers to the edge of space for several minutes of weightlessness, while others allow people to travel in orbit or live on a space station for a week or more.
The space tourism industry is still in its infancy, though, and many ambitious promises have been left unfulfilled. While the major players work toward improving their technology and business model, there are still concerns about pollution, safety and regulatory oversight.
What Is Space Tourism?
Space tourism is an industry that allows non-astronauts to travel to space, whether it’s for a few minutes or for weeks at a time. While space tourists may undergo some level of training to prepare for their trip, they don’t have the extensive educational, training and physical criteria required of professional astronauts.
With ticket prices ranging from $600,000 to $70 million, space tourism is currently reserved for the ultra-wealthy or those who are hand-selected to participate in a mission. While the astronomical price tag may seem inconceivable to most of us, the few who have made the trek have described it as a life-changing experience.
“It offers a profound shift in perspective,” Blue Origin spokeswoman Sara Blask told Built In. “Our astronauts describe a deepened sense of environmental stewardship after seeing Earth from space, a recognition of our planet’s fragility and interconnectedness.”
This phenomenon, known as “the overview effect,” is at the heart of the space tourism experience. Seeing the Earth at a distance without borders makes people reflect on our shared humanity, the importance of Earth’s environment and our planet’s relatively small size compared to the rest of outer space. When Star Trek actor William Shatner returned from his Blue Origin flight in October 2021, he was brought to tears, saying it was “the most profound experience.”
Types of Space Tourism Experiences
Space tourism can refer to a variety of experiences, ranging from zero-gravity experiences on Earth to rockets that breach the Earth’s atmosphere. For the purposes of this article, we will focus on the two main types of extraterrestrial space tourism: suborbital and orbital.
Suborbital Flights
Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic both transport private space travelers to the edge of space. Virgin Galactic’s flights reach an altitude of at least 50 miles, meeting NASA’s definition of outer space. Blue Origin typically surpasses the Kármán line, which — at 62 miles above sea level — is generally considered the beginning of outer space by the international community. Both experiences allow space travelers to see Earth from outer space and experience two to three minutes of weightlessness before beginning their descent back to Earth.
Orbital Trips
Orbital trips are less commercialized than suborbital trips. Space Adventures, the first space tourism company, has arranged for Russian space agency Roscosmos to lead eight space tourism missions to the ISS. And as of June 2025, Axiom Space has commissioned SpaceX to take four crews of private space travelers to the International Space Station with its Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon spacecraft. SpaceX has also led expeditions into low-Earth orbit for billionaire Jared Isaacman’s Inspiration 4 mission, a three-day journey in low-Earth orbit, and Polaris Dawn mission, a five-day trip that included the first spacewalk by a commercial space crew. Axiom Space has more expeditions planned in the future, and Isaacman’s Polaris program has at least two more missions scheduled.
A Brief History of Space Tourism
In 2001, the first space tourist, multimillionaire Dennis Tito, reportedly paid $20 million to accompany Russian cosmonauts on a Soyuz spacecraft to the International Space Station for an eight-day visit. Tito’s trip was facilitated by the first space tourism company, Space Adventures, which has since flown eight tourist missions to the International Space Station.
Also in the early 2000s, wealthy entrepreneurs Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson formed their own private aerospace companies, with the goal of democratizing access to outer space.
Two decades after Tito’s trip, the commercial space sector started taking tourists to space. In July 2021, Bezos’ Blue Origin launched its first suborbital trip, with Bezos, his brother Mark, aviation pioneer Wally Funk and space tourist Oliver Daemen. Two months later, in September 2021, Musk’s SpaceX led the first private, all-civilian orbital flight with funding from Isaacman.
In 2022, Axiom Space partnered with SpaceX to launch the first all-private astronaut trip to the International Space Station. Virgin Galactic, which had taken Branson and three other employees on a test flight in July 2021, then transported its first space tourists in 2023. In 2024, Isaacman also became the first civilian to conduct a spacewalk with the help of SpaceX.
As of June 2025, private companies have launched roughly 100 civilians into space. That number is expected to take off in the coming years as these companies develop new spacecraft and launch more missions. Meanwhile, other startups are developing commercial space stations and inflatable habitats to pave the way for the burgeoning space tourism economy.
Space Tourism Companies to Know
Started in 2000 by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Blue Origin offers trips to space through New Shepard, its reusable, suborbital rocket system. New Shepard can autonomously send six space tourists on an 11-minute journey past the Kármán line, offering passengers several minutes of weightlessness and views of Earth. After 16 successful flight tests, New Shepard began commercial operations in 2021. As of June 2025, the company has flown 64 people to space over the course of 12 space tourism missions. Blue Origin takes tourists to space on a near-monthly basis to meet the demand of its “significant” waitlist, Blask said.
Founded in 2004 by British entrepreneur Richard Branson, Virgin Galactic launched its first commercial flight with tourists in 2023. As of June 2025, the company has completed seven commercial spaceflights. Unlike Blue Origin and SpaceX, Virgin Galactic uses an air-launched technique, where a carrier plane takes off horizontally with the spacecraft in tow, eventually separating at an altitude of about 50,000 feet. The reusable suborbital spaceship, named VSS Unity, then uses its thrusters to take passengers roughly 56 miles above sea level. The trip, which costs travelers $600,000, lasts roughly 90 minutes. In 2026, Virgin Galactic plans to debut two new Delta class spaceships that would expand cabin capacity from four seats to six seats and increase the number of monthly trips from one to eight.
SpaceX is a private aerospace company founded in 2002 by tech mogul Elon Musk. Although it does not advertise space tourism experiences, it has facilitated several civilian trips to space. And unlike other space tourism companies, SpaceX transports passengers fully into orbit for three to six days at a time. In 2021, Isaacman funded Inspiration4, the first private, all-civilian orbital flight on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon spacecraft. Isaacman has organized subsequent trips through his Polaris program, which laid claim to the first civilian spacewalk in 2024. In 2022, SpaceX partnered with Axiom Space to take civilians to the International Space Station. As of June 2025, the company has led all four of Axiom’s trips to the ISS. SpaceX is currently developing Starship, a high-powered rocket system that could perform lunar fly-by missions — and eventually carry out Musk’s vision of colonizing Mars.
In 2022, Axiom Space became the first private space company to fly an all-private astronaut mission to the International Space Station (Space Adventures’ missions in the early 2000s were manned by Russian cosmonauts). The company has since completed three missions to the ISS using SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rockets and Crew Dragon spacecraft. Participants pay roughly $70 million to undergo a year of astronaut training and go on the two-week-long trip, where they conduct several research projects. These missions are part of Axiom’s larger goal to build the first commercial space station in low Earth orbit. Axiom plans to attach its first module to the ISS by the end of 2026, with the goal of eventually creating a separate space station with five modules.
How Much Does a Space Tour Cost?
The cost of a private trip to space ranges from hundreds of thousands of dollars to tens of millions of dollars, depending on the type of experience.
Virgin Galactic has been selling space tourism tickets since 2004, initially charging $200,000. The company now charges $600,000, but that price is expected to increase when the company launches its Delta class spaceships in 2026. Blue Origin, Virgin Galactic’s main competitor, has not disclosed the cost of flying on New Shepard.
On the pricier end of the spectrum, Axiom Space charges travelers $70 million for a two-week-long trip to the ISS. In addition to the trip, that price tag also includes roughly one year of astronaut training.
Risks and Criticisms of Space Tourism
Environmental Concerns
Rocket launches produce debris, heat and carbon emissions that can be harmful to animals and the environment. The soot particles emitted by hydrocarbon-burning rockets are 500 times more efficient at holding heat in the atmosphere than all other sources of soot combined, according to a 2022 study. This is particularly damaging in the upper layers of the atmosphere, like the stratosphere and mesosphere.
Some companies are working to minimize these harms by developing cleaner propulsion systems. For example, Blue Origin’s New Shepard is powered by one BE-3PM engine that runs on liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen, which emits no carbon emissions — only water vapor, according to the company. While water vapor can be a potent greenhouse gas, experts say New Shepard cuts off its engines early enough to prevent that vapor from lingering in the upper atmosphere.
Safety Risks
Space travel has become a lot safer in recent decades, but it still comes with considerable risks. Space tourism companies have experienced numerous accidents, ranging from booster failures to fiery explosions. While no space tourist has ever died in space, a 2014 Virgin Galactic crash killed a pilot and injured a crew member. In addition to technical malfunctions, space travel also comes with radiation risks and high gravitational forces that push blood away from the head, which can cause health problems.
Ethical Considerations
Some have criticized space tourism as being emblematic of inequality and growing wealth disparity. Bezos drew criticism, for example, when he thanked Amazon workers (who have complained of poor working conditions) for helping to fund his trip to space. Critics argue the billions of dollars that have been spent on space tourism would be better spent addressing hunger, poverty or public health. While space tourism may spark technological innovation and a new industry, it feels more like conspicuous consumption or an elite travel trend to some.
Benefits of Space Tourism
Public Awareness
By making space accessible to non-astronauts, people from different backgrounds and skill sets are able to experience the “overview effect.” An artist, educator or politician may return from space with different observations, and they may use their unique skills or influence to share their perspective on matters such as environmental sustainability, scientific research or STEM education. By winning over hearts and minds, industry experts hope to accelerate space tourism, aerospace innovation and our foothold in space.
“Space tourism is a great tool for humanity moving out into the solar system, hopefully doing it in a fun and exciting way,” John Spencer, founder and president of the Space Tourism Society, told Built In.
New Funding and Resources for Space
Space travel is expensive, and it doesn’t typically provide a strong return on investment. Space companies use revenue from ticket sales to invest in innovative techniques, materials and other resources that can benefit the space sector at-large. NASA, for example, has contracted with private space companies to develop the next International Space Station. As more private companies develop space stations, researchers will have more living space, lab space and lab equipment to do the research that will advance our understanding of space.
Technological Innovation
Space tourism contributes to technical innovation, incentivizing companies to develop new materials and cleaner burning fuels. For example, Blask, the Blue Origin spokeswoman, said the lessons learned from New Shepard feed into the company’s other programs, like their orbital rocket New Glenn.
Space tourists almost always perform research while they are in space, as well. Whether it’s wearing a sensor or testing out a medication, space tourists provide valuable findings to the science community.
The Future of Space Tourism
The next frontier in space tourism is expected to include lunar fly-by missions, lunar landings and the development of private space stations and space hotels.
Lunar Flybys
Circumlunar trips, also known as lunar fly-by missions, are trips that travel around the moon and return to Earth without going into orbit. No space tourism company has knowingly performed a lunar flyby, but it’s advertised on Space Adventures’ website. SpaceX’s Starship was expected to take a Japanese billionaire and eight artists on a lunar flyby until the trip was canceled. Blue Origin’s New Glenn, could potentially be used for lunar fly-by missions in the future as well.
Lunar Landings
In addition to circling the moon, space tourists may someday be able to land on the moon. Blue Origin’s lunar lander Blue Moon and SpaceX’s Starship Human Landing System could potentially be used for such trips someday, but neither company is advertising this as a possibility.
Suffice to say, moon tourism may not be as far off as you might think. Spencer predicts we will see lunar fly-bys in the next five years and lunar landings in the next 10 years.
Private Space Stations and Space Hotels
Several companies, including Axiom Space, Blue Origin, Starlab and Sierra Space, are developing commercial space stations for a variety of uses. Some of these companies are developing what could be the replacement for the ISS, which is slated to be decommissioned in 2030.
Further in the future, as commercial space stations become more popular, Spencer expects there will be boutique space hotels, as well as “orbital super yachts” that offer a cruise-like experience to space tourists. These spacecraft would feature restaurants, live entertainment and other events like weddings. This will also create a need for workers, like chefs, bartenders and janitors, he said.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a space tour cost?
The cost of a private trip to space ranges from hundreds of thousands of dollars to tens of millions of dollars, depending on the type of experience. For example, a suborbital flight with Virgin Galactic will set you back some $600,000, whereas Axiom Space charges travelers $70 million for a two-week-long trip to the International Space Station.
Does space tourism exist now?
Yes. Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin have taken numerous space tourists to the edge of outer space. Other individuals have paid tens of millions of dollars to travel in low-Earth orbit and visit the International Space Station.
How long does a space tourism flight last?
The duration of a space tourism flight varies depending on the company and the trip being offered. Blue Origin’s suborbital flights are about 11 minutes long, for example, while Virgin Galactic’s suborbital flights typically last 90 minutes. Meanwhile, Axiom Space takes space tourists to the International Space Station for two weeks at a time.
Is space tourism safe?
While no space tourist has ever died in space, there’s always the potential for an accident, particularly during launch or re-entry. Space travel also poses radiation risks and physical strain from high gravitational forces.
Will space tourism ever be affordable to the general public?
Industry experts envision a future where the cost of space tourism is affordable to the general public. Space tourism is still in the early stages of development, but as the industry matures, there will likely be more efficiencies found with technological innovation and economies of scale.
