Space Tourism Industry: Races And Options Available For Super Rich Fans

Space tourism offers views from heights but only instants. (photo: Twitter @SpacePerspectiv))

JAKARTA - The space tourism industry is growing and attracting people to explore space. However, a very expensive travel ticket makes only the rich can enjoy it. Along with the development of this industry, their hope is that ticket prices will be more affordable.

In a race to offer regular commercial travel, who will win the race? if money is not a problem, what options can be obtained from the various options offered?

Starting from Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic spacecraft and Jeff Bezos' rocket, to stratospheric balloon cruises, trips to the International Space Station (ISS), and orbital hotels, VOI looks closer to these options.

Virgin Galactic company led by billionaire Sir Richard Branson is one of the main players in the space tourism industry. The company offers commercial travel using the VSS Unity spacecraft.

Virgin Galactic travel ticket prices reached 450,000 US dollars or around Rp. 6.5 billion. Although expensive, many rich people are enthusiastic about enjoying the experience of being in space on this plane.

The journey with Virgin Galactic will last for 90 minutes at a cost of about 4,000 pounds per minute. Visitors can also feel about 5 minutes without gravity or "gliding" on board. There are 17 windows on the VSS Unity plane that allow visitors to see the view of Earth from space.

Virgin Galactic will take off from Spaceport America, New Mexico and reach an altitude of 50 miles or about 80 km from Earth's surface. However, it should be noted that the VSS Unity aircraft does not reach internationally recognized international space limits or the Kwarhrm total line of about 62 miles or about 100 km from Earth's surface.

Despite the many obstacles and obstacles faced in the journey into space, Branson managed to beat rival Jeff Bezos in the race into space by a nine-day margin.

This success shows that Virgin Galactic is still a major player in the space tourism industry. Currently, the company is preparing to make its first commercial flight this summer or maybe in 2024. The VSS Unity aircraft is capable of carrying up to six passengers and two pilots.

Virgin Galactic must compete with its competitors, who have already started spaceflight services. The relatively expensive ticket price, has not yet reached space technically, and the financial problems faced make Virgin Galactic even more lagging behind its competitors. In addition, Virgin Galactic's company, Virgin Orbit, has just filed for bankruptcy due to the financial problems they face.

Blue Origin, the company owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, also enlivens the competition for tourist flights into space. Ticket prices for riding the New Shepard Blue Origin rocket ranged from 200,000 - 300,000 US dollars or around Rp. 2.9 billion - Rp. 4.3 billion.

The flight starts from Van Horn, Texas and lasts for 10 minutes and 20 seconds with altitudes reaching 62 miles or about 100 kilometers above the Earth's surface. Passengers can feel zero gravitational effects for 3 minutes and enjoy the view through six windows over 3 feet high and nearly 2.5 feet wide.

Blue Origin has carried out several test flights and is expected to open tourist flights to space for the public starting in 2024. The New Shepard rocket can accommodate up to 6 passengers with a pre-flight time of 2 days.

Meanwhile, Axiom Space/SpaceX offers much more expensive orbital tourism flights at a price of 55 million US dollars per ticket, including a 10-day cost of living on the International Space Station (ISS).

This experience allows passengers to be in gravityless conditions for several days with a full Earth's view of the ISS. SpaceX will operate Falcon 9 with the Crew Dragon capsule for this flight. The company plans to launch four to five of these tourist flights starting in 2022.

Zeph flips offer a travel flight experience using stratospheric balloons that allow passengers to enjoy views of the Earth's atmosphere from 15.5 miles (25 km) high.

This flight will last for 6 hours and the ticket price is 120,000 euros. Although passengers will not feel heavy without gravity, they can enjoy the panorama through a large window in the Celeste cabin.

Zebhit menjanjikan makanan bintang Michelin yang dibajikan oleh chef Prancis dan pilihan anggur yang disiapkan oleh sommelier terkenal. Perusahaan ini berencana meluncurkan penerbangan pertamanya pada tahun 2025 dengan kapasitas 6 penumpang dan 2 pilot. Meskipun ke ruang angkasa, pengalaman yang ditawarkan tetap menarik bagi mereka yang ingin merasakan perusapan di atas ketinggian tinggi.

The Céleste balloon will fly at an altitude of 15.5 miles or about 25 km above Earth, twice as high as the average commercial plane. Passengers will enjoy spectacular views from the edge of space that astronauts previously could only enjoy.

Meanwhile, the company Space Perspective is offering flights using a Neptune spacecraft tied to a stratosphere balloon. Ticket fees amounted to US$125,000 or around Rp. 1.8 billion.

The flight lasted six hours with a very wide view. Passengers can also enjoy cocktail drinks and sit casually in a reducible seat.

The Neptune spacecraft will fly at an altitude of 20 miles or about 32 km above Earth. Although it has not yet reached an altitude that is considered an international space boundary, the experience offered by Space Perspective is very interesting. The company plans to make its first flight by the end of 2024 and can accommodate eight passengers.

Japan also offers space tourism using helium balloons, but the capsules are much simpler than those offered by Zeph abeling and Space Perspective. Start-up Iwaya Giken has revealed its prototype to lift people to high altitudes above Earth.

Sapporo-based company, northern Japan, has been working on the project since 2012 and claims to have developed an air-tight cabin with a capacity of two seats and balloons capable of rising to an altitude of 25 km (15 miles).

At this height, Iwaya Giken passengers can enjoy the extraordinary view of the Earth's arch. Although not equipped with luxury facilities, the company has plans to start operating commercial flights as quickly as possible.

CEO Keisuke Iwaya said space travel flights with this company could start later this year, although it is likely to happen in 2024. The offered space tourism ticket price is $180,000 for one person and one pilot with 4 hours of experience.

This 1.5-m diameter drum-shaped cabin is equipped with several large windows to allow passengers to enjoy the view. The price per minute is 616 pounds.

Meanwhile, in Spain, HALO Space pledged to provide 'zero emissions' space balloon flights, making it the'most environmentally friendly way to visit space'.

Madrid-based halo Space has designed a stylized round capsule attached to a balloon that can fly in 2029.

This makes it one of the businesses with longer waiting times to fly, but when HALO Space flies, the company sets an ambitious target to carry 3,000 passengers on 400 trips each year.

HALO Space has successfully carried out its first flight test at the end of last year, flying a 23-mile balloon to the edge of space, and plans to carry out further tests by the end of the first half of 2023 from Seville.

Radian Aerospace, an aviation company from Bellevue, Washington, designed a fully reusable spacecraft that can take off and land from the runway.

Named Radian One, this vehicle will be a one-stage vehicle towards a re-operated orbit within 48 hours. Although it does not have a focus on the tourism market, the company claims to make research, manufacture of goods in space, and Earth's observations easier and cheaper.

Currently, Radian Aerospace has raised $27.5 million and experts expect it will cost more than $1 billion to develop it. Until now, there are no details regarding tickets, durations, or crews that will fly with Radian One.

While not yet focused on the space tourism market, Radian Aerospace is trying to find ways to make research, manufacturing in space, and Earth's observations easier and cheaper.

This aircraft can take off from the states of Washington, USA, but is designed to land at most major airports, including in the UK such as Heathrow, Manchester, Gatwick, Birmingham, and Stansted. Currently, there is no further information regarding ticket prices or flight schedules available.