One great big step for mankind? Anyone who had childhood dreams of becoming an astronaut with NASA will soon be able to make it a reality.
NASA recently announced its plans to allow tourists to travel to the International Space Station. It’s the only place where people currently live off the planet. It may not be the moon, but it is space.
From 2020, tourists will be allowed to spend a maximum of 30 days at the International Space Station. Two private astronauts per year can visit the orbiting station at a pretty steep price of $35,000 per night, according to The New York Times.
NASA will partner with private companies to make the space station vacations a reality
The two companies that NASA will use are Elon Musk’s SpaceX, and Boeing, which is building a spacecraft, the Starliner.
These companies will charge a similar price to what they charge for non-commercial space flights, which is about $60m per flight.
#DidYouKnow we’re opening the @Space_Station for private astronaut missions of up to 30 days? Here’s your weekly update about what’s happening aboard our orbiting laboratory: https://t.co/hDJwMIamJo. Ask questions using #SpaceToGround pic.twitter.com/LouWUYuk3p
— NASA (@NASA) June 14, 2019
The private companies will be responsible for making sure that the space tourists meet the medical and training requirements for spaceflight.
Sure, it’s extremely pricey, but this a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sarah Clayton-Lea
Co-founder of Big 7 Travel, Sarah created the company through her passion for championing the world's best food and travel experiences. Before her career in digital media, where she previously held roles such as Editor of Food&Wine Ireland, Sarah worked in the hospitality industry in Dublin and New York. Contact [email protected]