If you were looking at options, as a private civilian, to get into space, then your chances 10 years ago seemed more than a little slim. With the launch of Elon Musk’s SpaceX program, however, that ‘slim’ chance has started to look a little rosier.
In a report via TheNextWeb, however, it seems that the first tourist flight may be set to blast off from SpaceX. Perhaps surprisingly, before the end of 2021.
SpaceX Look to Launch Tourist Flights by 2021
In the report, it has been suggested that SpaceX is currently targeting to launch its first four space tourists before the end of 2021. The prospective travelers will have to undergo a few weeks of training, but it is suggested that their flight should be ready by, at the very latest, mid-2022. As above though, initial plans are still looking towards late 2021.
How Much Will it Cost?
The exact pricing of the flights has never specifically been disclosed by SpaceX nor their partner company ‘Space Adventures’. It is believed, however, that a ticket (giving you 5 days in orbit of Earth) will cost something around $30-$50m.
Sadly, having consulted my bank balance (rather optimistically), it doesn’t look like I’ll be amongst those initial four. In terms of timescales, however, this is perhaps a lot sooner than many of you might have thought!
So, who knows, maybe in 20 years time you too might be able to go into space. Or, at the very least, maybe possibly able to afford it if you start saving now!
What do you think? – Let us know in the comments!
