Space tourism is a term that is newly relevant in the last decade. It remains an interesting subsection of the aviation industry that seeks to bring civilians into space via privatized spacecraft companies. Space tourism is a highly expensive form of travel that has garnered both acclaim for the opening of the heavens to the untrained civilian as well as criticism for the potential for significant waste and pollution.

Fig. 1. NY Times. Bidding Opens.

Catching a ride on a rocket geared towards space comes at an extravagent price. Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo reopened ticket sales for a chance to reach the Kármán Line (the general boundary indicating the beginning of space) last August.  These tickets went on sale for a staggering $450,000 (a $200,000 increase from previous ticket sales). The Dutch businessman who won an auction for his son to travel on Blue Origin’s manned flight in July paid a whopping $28 million for the opportunity. This flight reached its goal of passing the “edge of space” with civilian passengers on board. Actually heading into space exists on a whole other price bracket. Only the ultra rich would be able to afford the cost of a seat aboard a SpaceX rocket headed to the ISS (International Space Station) – the current estimated price for each of the three seats available is $55 million. The trip would be 10 days in total.

Fig. 2. Reuters. Dutch Teen on Space Flight.

How much are the actual flights, you ask?

The United States’ NASA has led several initiatives over multiple decades to put astronauts in space. It is estimated that in today’s money, the cost of these endeavors would be $110 billion. However, American citizens get a return on the tax money that goes to NASA each year in their budget. For every $1 spent on NASA projects, there is an economic return of $8-$10. In regards to one of the discussed private space aviation companies, the cost of a new launch with the reusable Falcon 9 rocket of SpaceX is between $50-$62 million. However, Elon Musk revealed in a tweet that each Falcon 9 mission is able to be insured for less than $1 million. The goal for the future is for each launch with the reusable rocket to cost less than $30 million. The money being put into these experiences has less of a monetary benefit to the average citizen than flights associated with governmental organizations.

Fig. 3. NASA Spaceflight. Falcon 9 Finally Launches.

The high-priced cost of heading towards or into space via one of the several privatized space aviation companies (like Blue Origin and SpaceX) must be reviewed for practicality. There are, quite literally, thousands of problems here on earth that the money being used for a seat on a rocket could be allocated towards instead. The World Food Programme of the United Nations recently got into a tiff with Elon Musk regarding how just a tiny portion of his wealth could be funneled to solve world hunger for $6.6 billion. On the other hand, the cost of recent environmental justice initiatives in the United States, geared at giving grants to reduce risk to public harm, is $50 million dollars – $5 million dollars less than the cost of a one-person trip to the ISS courtesy of Musk’s company.

The only way to move forward is to review these prices and make the decision as to whether the positives in advancement in technology and the human experience outweigh the pitfalls of the high cost of space tourism.

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Additional sources for thought:

Flying To The Moon Will Cost $50 Billion – Mother Jones

A Mars Mission for Budget Travelers – National Geographic

Here’s What a $52 Million Ticket to the ISS Will Get You – WIRED