Editing Space tourism (section)

=== Successful projects ===
* [[Scaled Composites]] won the $10&nbsp;million [[Ansari X Prize|X Prize]] in October 2004 with [[SpaceShipOne]], as the first private company to reach and surpass an altitude of {{convert|62|mi|km|abbr=on|order=flip}} twice within two weeks. The altitude is beyond the [[Kármán Line]], the arbitrarily-defined boundary of space.<ref name="Xprize1">{{cite press release |url=http://www.scaled.com/projects/tierone/spaceshipone_flies_again_within_14_days_-_wins_10m_x_prize |title=SpaceShipOne Flies Again Within 14 Days – Wins $10M X PRIZE |website=Scaled Composites |access-date=April 30, 2013 |archive-date=January 13, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110113174704/http://scaled.com/projects/tierone/spaceshipone_flies_again_within_14_days_-_wins_10m_x_prize |url-status=dead }}</ref> The first flight was flown by [[Mike Melvill|Michael Melvill]] in June 2004, to a height of {{convert|62|mi|km|abbr=on|order=flip}}, making him the first commercial astronaut.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.scaled.com/projects/tierone/pilots/michael_w._melvill |title=Michael W. Melvill |website=Scaled Composites |access-date=April 30, 2013 |archive-date=April 24, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160424214944/http://www.scaled.com/projects/tierone/pilots/michael_w._melvill }}</ref> The prize-winning flight was flown by [[Brian Binnie]], which reached a height of {{convert|69.6|mi|km|abbr=on|order=flip}}, breaking the [[X-15]] record.<ref name="Xprize2">{{cite web |url=http://www.scaled.com/projects/tierone/041004_spaceshipone_x-prize_flight_2.html |title=SpaceShipOne Captures X-Prize! |website=Scaled Composites |access-date=November 9, 2008 |archive-date=November 5, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081105083543/http://www.scaled.com/projects/tierone/041004_spaceshipone_x-prize_flight_2.html |url-status=live }}</ref> There were no space tourists on the flights even though the vehicle has seats for three passengers. Instead there was additional weight to make up for the weight of passengers.<ref name="BritannicaTopicSpaceShipOne">{{cite web |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/SpaceShipOne |title=SpaceShipOne |website=Britannica |access-date=July 11, 2021 |archive-date=April 30, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210430191905/https://www.britannica.com/topic/SpaceShipOne |url-status=live }}</ref>
* In 2005, [[Virgin Galactic]] was founded as a joint venture between Scaled Composites and Richard Branson's Virgin Group.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Weitering |first=Hanneke |title=Virgin Galactic's VSS Unity Space Plane Aces Test Flight, Reaching Mesosphere for the 1st Time|url=https://www.space.com/41295-virgin-galactic-reaches-mesosphere-epic-test.html|access-date=July 20, 2021|website=Space.com|date=July 26, 2018|language=en|archive-date=September 1, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210901235013/https://www.space.com/41295-virgin-galactic-reaches-mesosphere-epic-test.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Eventually Virgin Group owned the entire project.<ref>{{cite web|date=October 5, 2012|title=Virgin Galactic Acquires Full Ownership of The Spaceship Company|url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20121005005907/en/Virgin-Galactic-Acquires-Full-Ownership-of-The-Spaceship-Company|access-date=July 20, 2021|website=Business Wire |language=en|archive-date=April 28, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210428221901/https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20121005005907/en/Virgin-Galactic-Acquires-Full-Ownership-of-The-Spaceship-Company|url-status=live}}</ref> Virgin Galactic began building [[SpaceShipTwo]]-class spaceplanes. The first of these [[spaceplane]]s, [[VSS Enterprise|VSS ''Enterprise'']], was intended to commence its first commercial flights in 2015, and tickets were on sale at a price of $200,000 (later raised to $250,000). However, the company suffered a considerable setback when [[2014 Virgin Galactic crash|the ''Enterprise'' broke up]] over the [[Mojave Desert]] during a test flight in October 2014. Over 700 tickets had been sold prior to the accident.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Chang |first1=Kenneth |last2=Schwartz |first2=John |date=October 31, 2014 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/01/science/virgin-galactics-spaceshiptwo-crashes-during-test-flight.html |url-access=subscription |title=Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo Crashes in New Setback for Commercial Spaceflight |work=The New York Times |access-date=March 1, 2017 |archive-date=April 1, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190401043744/https://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/01/science/virgin-galactics-spaceshiptwo-crashes-during-test-flight.html |url-status=live }}</ref> A second spaceplane, [[VSS Unity|VSS ''Unity'']], completed a successful test flight with four passengers on July 11, 2021, to an altitude of nearly 90&nbsp;km (56&nbsp;mi).<ref>{{Cite web|last=Malik |first=Tariq |title=Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo Unity 22 launch with Richard Branson. See video and photos of the flight.|url=https://www.space.com/virgin-galactic-richard-branson-unity-22-launch-explained|access-date=July 12, 2021|website=Space.com|date=July 11, 2021|language=en|archive-date=July 12, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210712052103/https://www.space.com/virgin-galactic-richard-branson-unity-22-launch-explained|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Galactic 01]] became the company's first commercial spaceflight on June 29, 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sheetz |first=Michael |title=Virgin Galactic completes first commercial flight in major step for space tourism company |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2023/06/29/virgin-galactic-first-commercial-spaceflight-live-stream-updates.html |date=June 29, 2023 |website=CNBC |language=en |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240119105712/https://www.cnbc.com/2023/06/29/virgin-galactic-first-commercial-spaceflight-live-stream-updates.html |archive-date= January 19, 2024 }}</ref>
* [[Blue Origin]] developed the [[New Shepard]] reusable suborbital launch system specifically to enable short-duration space tourism. Blue Origin plans to ferry a maximum of six persons on a brief journey to space on board the New Shepard. The capsule is attached to the top portion of an 18-meter (59-foot) rocket. The rocket successfully launched with four passengers on July 20, 2021, and reached an altitude of {{Convert|107|km|mi|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Berger|first=Eric|date=July 20, 2021|title=Blue Origin successfully completes its first human launch [Updated]|url=https://arstechnica.com/science/2021/07/blue-origin-set-for-historic-first-human-flight-of-its-new-shepard-system/|access-date=July 20, 2021|website=Ars Technica|language=en-us|archive-date=July 20, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210720150008/https://arstechnica.com/science/2021/07/blue-origin-set-for-historic-first-human-flight-of-its-new-shepard-system/|url-status=live}}</ref> Blue Origin's 10th human flight lifted off on the morning of February 25, 2025. Six paying passengers, including a Spanish TV host, and several investors, experienced weightlessness during the 10-12-minute flight and can see Earth against the blackness of space.<ref>{{Cite web |last=updated |first=Mike Wall last |date=February 25, 2025 |title=Blue Origin launches 'Perfect 10' space tourists on New Shepard rocket (video) |url=https://www.space.com/space-exploration/private-spaceflight/watch-jeff-bezos-blue-origin-launch-10th-space-tourism-flight-today |access-date=February 25, 2025 |website=Space.com |language=en}}</ref>