Is Space Tourism Taking A Rest? : Kathika Travel Website

By Amanda Kendle

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If you had hoped to be a tourist on a mission into space in the near future, you might be disappointed to hear that any space tourism in the near future is in serious doubt. A combination of the economic crisis and changes to space development programs means that it may be some years or even decades before the super-rich can get back into space again, let alone ordinary people who feel they’ve already seen all that earth has to offer and want to get further.

History of Space Tourism

The advent of the Mir International Space Station and its owners’ desire to offset some of the hefty costs of running the space station led to the first space tourist heading up there back in 2001. That was Dennis Tito, who paid $20 million to spend nearly ten days on Mir after undergoing months of training. Since then, five more space tourists have spent a similar amount of time up there, although the price has been rising. The most recent space tourist, Charles Simonyi, made history this year as the first tourist to head up there twice, but also paid significantly more for the privilege, with the price now up around the $35 million mark.

Plans for Space Tourism

Right now it looks like Simonyi will be the last space tourist for the near future at least. One of the main reasons is that the International Space Station is planning to double the number of its crew from three to six starting in May, which basically means there’s no seat left over for tourists. It is also thought that the economic crisis will dampen the enthusiasm of the small strata of travelers who are able to afford contemplating such an expensive trip.

However, the future for space travel isn’t all dim. There are now companies who are trying to put together deals that will mean potential space tourists can satisfy their travel desires without having to rely on tagging along with a more scientific expedition; companies like Space Adventures are looking at plans to rent space capsules and operate flights in conjunction with the Russian space agency Roskosmos. On top of that, it might be that space tourists can look beyond Russia to book their trip of a lifetime, with possibilities that India and China will make significant gains in their space programs during the next decade or so.
photo credit: Zemlinki!