Since the first spaceflight of 1961 by the Russian Space Agency, there has been an assumption that one day the ordinary public would one day soon be able to pay for a holiday in space as easily as paying for a flight to the Bahamas. In fact in the middle of the 20th Century futurologists were speculating that the average family of the 21st Century would be able to enjoy a holiday on the Moon.
This optimism, however, has not been all too accurate as space tourism has not taken off in the way many would have thought, or hoped. Only one company at the moment takes it on themselves to transport paying customers into space, so the term 'space tourism' cannot legitimately be though to refer to an industry. Space Adventures is the name of this company, and it puts its customers of the already existing Russian Soyuz space program, charging a considerable price for this. Even this, however, has had to stop for now while the Russian Space Agency adapts to the increase of professional based in the ISS.
There are space flights in the past that have been referred to as space tourism, but this was not tourism in the way most think of it. These tourists, during the 80s, were representatives of companies that were placed on board shuttles in order to manage payloads on the mission. It was not until the 90s that a more recognisable form of space tourism emerged, as MirCorp, the company in charge of the space station, tried to raise funds by charging individuals for seats on their missions.
Dennis Tito was the first fee paying customer to fly into space in this way. She was an American JPL scientist and a business woman who managed to negotiate a flight to the ISS, requiring a deal struck up between Space Adventures and MirCorp that was strongly opposed by NASA. Since then there have been a string of space tourists that have enjoyed stays at the ISS.
The prospects for a space tourism industry are looking up now, however. Not only have Space Adventures expanded the services they offer to include extra-vehicular activity among other things, but there are also other emerging companies looking to become space tourist groups. The most prominent of these is Virgin Galactic, owned by Richard Branson's Virgin Group, which has already taken down payments of $20,000 from 10 people.
This optimism, however, has not been all too accurate as space tourism has not taken off in the way many would have thought, or hoped. Only one company at the moment takes it on themselves to transport paying customers into space, so the term 'space tourism' cannot legitimately be though to refer to an industry. Space Adventures is the name of this company, and it puts its customers of the already existing Russian Soyuz space program, charging a considerable price for this. Even this, however, has had to stop for now while the Russian Space Agency adapts to the increase of professional based in the ISS.
There are space flights in the past that have been referred to as space tourism, but this was not tourism in the way most think of it. These tourists, during the 80s, were representatives of companies that were placed on board shuttles in order to manage payloads on the mission. It was not until the 90s that a more recognisable form of space tourism emerged, as MirCorp, the company in charge of the space station, tried to raise funds by charging individuals for seats on their missions.
Dennis Tito was the first fee paying customer to fly into space in this way. She was an American JPL scientist and a business woman who managed to negotiate a flight to the ISS, requiring a deal struck up between Space Adventures and MirCorp that was strongly opposed by NASA. Since then there have been a string of space tourists that have enjoyed stays at the ISS.
The prospects for a space tourism industry are looking up now, however. Not only have Space Adventures expanded the services they offer to include extra-vehicular activity among other things, but there are also other emerging companies looking to become space tourist groups. The most prominent of these is Virgin Galactic, owned by Richard Branson's Virgin Group, which has already taken down payments of $20,000 from 10 people.
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