Editing Space tourism (section)

== Orbital space tourism ==
{{See also|Orbital spaceflight}}

As of 2021, Space Adventures and SpaceX are the only companies to have coordinated tourism flights to Earth's orbit. Virginia-based Space Adventures has worked with Russia to use its Soyuz spacecraft to fly ultra-wealthy individuals to the International Space Station. The tourists included entrepreneur and space investor [[Anousheh Ansari]] and [[Cirque du Soleil]] co-founder [[Guy Laliberté]]. Those missions were priced at around $20 million each. The space industry could soon be headed for a tourism revolution if SpaceX and Boeing make good on their plans to take tourists to orbit.<ref>{{cite web|last=Wattles|first=Jackie|title=SpaceX teams up with space tourism agency to sell rides aboard its spacecraft|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/18/tech/spacex-tourism-space-adventures/index.html|access-date=February 19, 2020|website=CNN|date=February 19, 2020 |archive-date=February 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200219185912/https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/18/tech/spacex-tourism-space-adventures/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Successful projects ===
[[File:ISS-02 Soyuz TM-32 Taxi crewmembers in the Zvezda Service Module.jpg|thumb|The first space tourist, [[Dennis Tito]] (left) aboard the ISS]]
[[File:Mark Shuttleworth NASA.jpg|thumb|Space tourist [[Mark Shuttleworth]]]]
At the end of the 1990s, [[MirCorp]], a private venture that was by then in charge of the space station, began seeking potential space tourists to visit ''Mir'' in order to offset some of its maintenance costs. [[Dennis Tito]], an American businessman and former [[Jet Propulsion Laboratory|JPL]] scientist, became their first candidate. When the decision was made to de-orbit ''Mir'', Tito managed to switch his trip to the [[International Space Station]] (ISS) aboard a Russian [[Soyuz (spacecraft)|Soyuz spacecraft]] through a deal between MirCorp and US-based [[Space Adventures]], Ltd. Dennis Tito visited the ISS for seven days in April–May 2001, becoming the world's first "fee-paying" space tourist. Tito paid a reported $20 million for his trip.<ref name="Tito">{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/1297924.stm |title=Profile: Tito the spaceman |date=April 28, 2001 |work=[[BBC News]] |access-date=February 27, 2013 |archive-date=December 17, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071217062408/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/1297924.stm |url-status=live }}</ref>

Tito was followed in April 2002 by South African [[Mark Shuttleworth]] ([[Soyuz TM-34]]). In February 2003, the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated on re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere, killing all seven astronauts aboard. After this disaster, space tourism on the Russian [[Soyuz program]] was temporarily put on hold, because [[Soyuz spacecraft|Soyuz vehicles]] became the only available transport to the ISS. After the Shuttle's return to service in July 2005, space tourism was resumed. The third was [[Gregory Olsen]] in October 2005 ([[Soyuz TMA-7]]). In September 2006, an [[Iranian American]] businesswoman named [[Anousheh Ansari]] became the fourth space tourist ([[Soyuz TMA-9]]).<ref name="Anousheh Ansari">{{cite web | url=http://www.anoushehansari.com/about/ | title=About Anousheh Ansari | website=Anousheh Ansari | access-date=April 30, 2013 | archive-date=July 27, 2013 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130727140038/http://www.anoushehansari.com/about/ | url-status=live }}</ref>) In April 2007, [[Charles Simonyi]], an American businessman of Hungarian descent, joined their ranks ([[Soyuz TMA-10]]). Simonyi became the first repeat space tourist, paying again to fly on [[Soyuz TMA-14]] in March 2009. [[British-American]] [[Richard Garriott]] became the next space tourist in October 2008 aboard [[Soyuz TMA-13]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2008/10/soyuz-tma-13-set-to-launch-trio-to-iss/|title=Soyuz TMA-13 launches trio on journey to the ISS|last=Bergin|first=Chris|work=NASASpaceFlight.com|date=October 11, 2008|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210207061444/https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2008/10/soyuz-tma-13-set-to-launch-trio-to-iss/|archive-date=February 7, 2021}}</ref> Canadian [[Guy Laliberté]] visited the ISS in September 2009 aboard [[Soyuz TMA-16]], becoming the last visiting tourist until Japanese nationals [[Yusaku Maezawa]] and [[Yozo Hirano]] aboard [[Soyuz MS-20]] in December 2021. Originally the third member aboard [[Soyuz TMA-18M]] would have been the British singer [[Sarah Brightman]] as a space tourist, but on May 13, 2015, she announced she had withdrawn from training.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-space-sarahbrightman-idUSKBN0NY2KN20150513|title=Singer Sarah Brightman calls off flight to space station|last=Klotz|first=Irene|work=Reuters|date=May 13, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201022105817/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-space-sarahbrightman-idUSKBN0NY2KN20150513|archive-date=October 22, 2020}}</ref>

Since the Space Shuttle was retired in 2011, Soyuz once again became the only means of accessing the ISS, and so tourism was once again put on hold. On June 7, 2019, NASA announced a plan to open the ISS to space tourism again.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-opens-international-space-station-to-new-commercial-opportunities-private|title=NASA Opens International Space Station to New Commercial Opportunities|last=Northon|first=Karen|date=June 7, 2019|website=NASA|access-date=June 24, 2019|archive-date=October 1, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211001054506/https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-opens-international-space-station-to-new-commercial-opportunities-private/|url-status=live}}</ref>

On September 16, 2021, the [[Inspiration4]] mission launched from the [[Kennedy Space Center]] on a [[SpaceX]] [[Falcon 9]] and spent almost three days in orbit aboard the [[Crew Dragon]] ''[[Crew Dragon Resilience|Resilience]]'', becoming the first all-civilian crew to fly an orbital space mission.<ref>{{cite web |last=Atkinson |first=Ian |title=SpaceX launches Inspiration4, first all-private orbital mission |url=https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2021/09/spacex-launch-inspiration4/ |website=nasaspaceflight.com |date=September 15, 2021 |access-date=October 7, 2021 |archive-date=September 16, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210916004519/https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2021/09/spacex-launch-inspiration4/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>.{{cite web |last=Davenport |first=Justin |title=Inspiration4 and all-civilian crew return to Earth with splashdown off Florida coast |url=https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2021/09/inspiration4-splashdown-florida/ |website=nasapaceflight.com |date=September 18, 2021 |access-date=October 7, 2021 |archive-date=October 7, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211007201340/https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2021/09/inspiration4-splashdown-florida/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

On September 12, 2024, [[Jared Isaacman]] and [[Sarah Gillis]] performed the first commercial [[Extravehicular activity|spacewalk]] during the ''[[Polaris Dawn]]'' spaceflight operated by [[SpaceX]].<ref>{{cite news |title=First Private Spacewalk in SpaceX Capsule Achieves New Milestone|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/11/science/spacex-polaris-dawn-astronauts-spacewalk.html  |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=September 12, 2024 |access-date=September 12, 2024}}</ref>

On April 1, 2025, [[Fram2]] became the first [[Human spaceflight|crewed spaceflight]] to enter a [[polar orbit|polar]] [[retrograde orbit]],<ref>{{Cite tweet |first=Jonathan |last=McDowell |author-link=Jonathan McDowell|user=planet4589 |number=1906922678067560513|title=First Space Force orbit data for Fram-2 out , showing it in a 202 x 413 km x 90.01 deg orbit|note=0.01° means it entered Retrograde orbit too}}</ref> launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Foust |first=Jeff |date=April 1, 2025 |title=SpaceX launches Fram2 private astronaut mission |url=https://spacenews.com/spacex-launches-fram2-private-astronaut-mission/ |access-date=April 1, 2025 |website=SpaceNews |language=en-US}}</ref>

=== Ongoing projects ===
* [[Axiom Space]] uses [[Dragon 2|Crew Dragon]] flights contracted with [[SpaceX]] to send crews to the International Space Station.<ref name="Sheetz 2021">{{cite web|last=Sheetz|first=Michael|date=June 2, 2021|title=Axiom Space expands SpaceX private crew launch deal, with four total missions to the space station|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2021/06/02/axiom-space-expands-spacex-deal-for-private-crew-launches-to-iss-.html|website=CNBC|access-date=August 2, 2022|archive-date=May 29, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230529151534/https://www.cnbc.com/2021/06/02/axiom-space-expands-spacex-deal-for-private-crew-launches-to-iss-.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Ax-2 Overview">{{cite web|url=https://www.axiomspace.com/#overview|title=Axiom-2 Official Overview|website=Axiom Space|access-date=June 18, 2023|archive-date=January 24, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180124195711/https://www.axiomspace.com/#overview|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Axiom Mission 1|Mission 1]] flew in April 2022, [[Axiom Mission 2|Mission 2]] flew in May 2023 and [[Axiom Mission 3|Mission 3]] flew in January 2024. A fourth mission is planned for October 2024. Through these missions, NASA hopes to create a non-NASA market for human spaceflight to enable cost-sharing on future commercial space stations.
* The [[Boeing Starliner]] capsule is being developed as part of the NASA's [[Commercial Crew Program]]. Part of the agreement with NASA allows Boeing to sell seats for space tourists. Boeing proposed including one seat per flight for a [[spaceflight participant]] at a price that would be competitive with what Roscosmos charges tourists.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/boeing-space-idUSL1N0RI2XY20140917 |title=Boeing's 'space taxi' includes seat for a tourist |work=Reuters |first=Irene |last=Klotz |date=September 17, 2014 |access-date=August 6, 2015 |archive-date=March 16, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160316191051/http://www.reuters.com/article/boeing-space-idUSL1N0RI2XY20140917 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/boeing-space-taxi-has-tourist-seat-1.2770088 |title=Boeing space taxi has tourist seat |website=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation |agency=Thomson Reuters |date=September 18, 2014 |access-date=January 7, 2017 |archive-date=January 8, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170108190620/http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/boeing-space-taxi-has-tourist-seat-1.2770088 |url-status=live }}</ref>
* The [[Polaris Program]]: The commander and financier of the Inspiration4 mission, [[Jared Isaacman]], announced plans for a three-mission program called Polaris in February 2022. The first mission, [[Polaris Dawn]], launched four private astronauts in a [[Crew Dragon]] spacecraft to earth orbit. Polaris Dawn was a free-flyer mission in which the spacecraft did not perform any rendezvous maneuvers, instead setting the all-time earth orbit altitude record at 1,400&nbsp;km, surpassing the 1,373&nbsp;km record set by [[Gemini XI]]. Polaris Dawn also included the first private [[extravehicular activity]] (EVA). The last Polaris program mission is planned to be the first crewed flight of the in-development Starship launch system.

=== Canceled projects ===
* In 2004, [[Bigelow Aerospace]] established a competition called [[America's Space Prize]], which offered a $50&nbsp;million prize to the first US company to create a reusable spacecraft capable of carrying passengers to a Nautilus space station. The prize expired in January 2010 without anyone making a serious effort to win it.<ref>{{cite web |last=Foust |first=Jeff |title=Bigelow still thinks big |url=http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1719/1 |website=The Space Review |date=November 1, 2010 |access-date=July 29, 2012 |archive-date=July 7, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120707091051/http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1719/1 |url-status=live }}</ref>
* The Space Island Group proposed having 20,000 people on their "space island" by 2020.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.spaceislandgroup.com/sig-vision.html |title=The Space Island Group's Mission |website=Space Island Group |access-date=April 30, 2013 |archive-date=April 27, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130427100548/http://www.spaceislandgroup.com/sig-vision.html }}</ref>
* A United States startup firm, Orion Span announced during the early part of 2018 that it planned to launch and position a luxury space hotel in orbit within several years.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.space.com/40226-aurora-station-luxury-space-hotel-photos.html|title=A Space Hotel in Images: Orion Span's Luxury Aurora Station|work=Space.com|access-date=October 16, 2018|archive-date=October 17, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181017042939/https://www.space.com/40226-aurora-station-luxury-space-hotel-photos.html|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Aurora Space Station]], the name of the hotel, would have offered guests (at most six individuals) 12 days of staying in a pill-shaped space hotel for $9.5&nbsp;million. The hotel's cabins would have measured approximately 12.9 metres (43 feet) by 4.8 metres (14 feet) in width.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://qz.com/1247091/orion-span-claims-its-luxury-space-hotel-will-open-to-its-first-guests-in-2022/|title=Orion Span claims its 'luxury space hotel' will open to its first guests in 2022 – Quartz|website=Quartz|date=April 9, 2018 |access-date=October 16, 2018|archive-date=October 17, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181017082143/https://qz.com/1247091/orion-span-claims-its-luxury-space-hotel-will-open-to-its-first-guests-in-2022/|url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[Space Adventures Crew Dragon mission]]: [[Space Adventures]] and [[SpaceX]] planned to send up to four tourists to low Earth orbit for a few days in late 2021 or early 2022. In October 2021, Space Adventures stated that the mission contract had expired, though the possibility of a future partnership with SpaceX was left open.<ref>{{cite web |last=Clark |first=Anastasia |url=https://japantoday.com/category/features/travel/us-firm-sees-%27exciting%27-moment-as-space-tourism-booms1 |title=U.S. firm sees 'exciting' moment as space tourism booms |work=[[Japan Today]] |date=October 18, 2021 |access-date=October 18, 2021 |archive-date=October 18, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211018211442/https://japantoday.com/category/features/travel/us-firm-sees-%27exciting%27-moment-as-space-tourism-booms1 |url-status=live }}</ref>
* [[Galactic Suite Design]]
* [[Orbital Technologies Commercial Space Station]]
* [[Space Industries Incorporated]]
* [[Space Islands]]