From Earth to Orbit... and Beyond! Discover Space Travel.
Authors / photo source: Freepik.
Summary:
- What is space travel: amazing journeys beyond the Earth.
- How to fly into space: the cost of a trip to orbit.
- How space travel is changing the world: hotels in orbit and work from space.
When we think of travel, we usually imagine exploring new countries and cultures on Earth. However, recently a new milestone has appeared in the world of travel — space travel. And we're not talking about the distant future; space travel is already becoming a reality thanks to companies like Blue Origin and SpaceX.
What is space travel: amazing journeys beyond the Earth.
Authors / photo source: Freepik.
Space travel is an opportunity for ordinary people to go into space and experience amazing sensations that were previously only available to astronauts. But what is the price of this adventure? Today, the cost of a trip on the space shuttle remains quite high, but as the industry develops, it may become more affordable in the future.
The history of sending non-professionals into space in this field began in the 1980s. After an unsuccessful attempt, this practice was abandoned for many years and was only resumed in the early 2000s. In 2001, American businessman Dan Tito paid Space Adventures a whopping $20 million for a seat on a Russian Soyuz rocket to the ISS. The journey lasted ten days, eight of which Tito spent at a station 400 km from Earth in the company of professional astronauts. From 2002 to 2009, 7 more people followed his example.
The turning point came in the summer of 2021 when private aerospace companies Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin sent their first tourists into space, and although these space flights were suborbital, they defined the future of space travel.
How to fly into space: the cost of a trip to orbit.
Authors / photo source: Freepik.
To go into space, you can choose one of the companies offering space flights. Blue Origin, Virgin Atlantic and SpaceX are the most famous companies in this field. They have already experienced and are practising various types of space travel, including short space flights beyond the atmosphere and even multi-day excursions into orbit.
Blue Origin and Virgin Atlantic are offering three minutes in space for $200,000. But the space flight will last different times: the ascent on Virgin VSS Unity takes 2.5 hours, and on Blue Origin New Shepard it takes 11 minutes. This time difference is explained by different launch technologies. The pricing policy has fully justified itself: seats on the suborbital shuttles of both companies are sold out for several years in advance. Space X is also keeping up with its competitors. The company launched the Inspiration 4 orbital mission in 2021. Four tourists remained on the Crew Dragon spacecraft in orbit for three days. The cost of the space flight was not disclosed.
At the same time, Space Perspective is working on a project to launch a space balloon that can accommodate up to 8 tourists. Flights into space on the balloon are planned to be launched before 2024. The preliminary cost of the trip is estimated at $125,000.
How space travel is changing the world: hotels in orbit and work from space.
Authors / photo source: Freepik.
A study by analysts Northern Sky Research (NSR) suggests that about 60,000 tourists will go into space over the next 10 years. Without a doubt, today only millionaires can afford such trips. Paying 200 thousand dollars for 3 minutes in zero gravity or 20 million for 8 days in space is not a luxury that everyone can easily afford. But only a century ago, flying across the Atlantic was also available to few people, but today it is a common thing.
As companies work to make space travel accessible, vacations in orbit will become one of the top destinations for space travel in the future. Orion Span and Blue Origin are already developing luxury space hotel concepts called Aurora Station and Orbital Reef. It is likely that remote workers will also one day be able to stay for weeks in space and work directly from orbit. Of course, vacations in space are still a long way off, but many tourists can already visit space-themed hotels on Earth.
While space travel is inaccessible to most, there are still many beautiful and unexplored places on Earth. Whether it’s a mountain range or the ocean shore, private transfer Intui will help you get to the most beautiful places on the planet and spend a comfortable holiday there. You indicate in advance on the website where you need to go, and the driver builds the best route — he does not need to explain anything on the spot. Upon arrival, you will be greeted with a sign, escorted to the car, and you will calmly get in and drive to the right place without hassle. Relax in the beautiful places of our planet with private transfer Intui!
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Petrichenko Rimma & Intui travel