Recently, Elon Musk’s SpaceX launched its rocket Falcon Heavy with a Tesla cabriolet into space. Although this has little to do with genuine space travel, it is another step forward towards increasing the potential of the sector in outer space.
Space tourism is close to becoming a regular business. Elon Musk was already mentioned, while Richard Branson promises to perform music performances in space. Russia, however, has another tempting proposal.
Energia to Send People to the ISS
The company Energia plans to send VIP tourists to the International Space Station. The plan is to send up to six people into orbit for a 10-day space holiday that would cost around $100 million. It is reported that tourists shouldn’t count on a discount in the near future. However, the price may be lowered for the first person wishing to act as a guinea pig for this unverified type of recreation.
At present, Energia, which sent Yuri Gagarin to space in 1961, is working on a creating a module that can accommodate up to six tourists for a 10-day trip. The company plans to launch the module in 2019. They want to create a place of high comfort, with cozy cabins, two toilets and also internet access.
Moreover, there is great expectation of the publicity that the tourists will make during the trip on social media. Energia is also willing to cooperate with other interested companies in order to create better vehicles taking into account the needs of passengers. Boeing, among others, has already expressed interest in the space travel project.
Russia Has Already Some Practice
It is also interesting to note that while Western companies continue planning the organization of space tourism (e. g. Virgin Atlantic), Russia has already been organizing special missions for rich tourists for some time. For example, in 2009 Energia sent Guy Laliberte to the ISS.
Now Russia intends to offer 10 trips to the ISS for VIP tourists in a year. This will allow the world elite to literally look at the world from the top down and admire its beauty. As for less wealthy tourists, the reduction of prices for a space trip is just a matter of time and luck. However, one should not expect the same comfort once prices start to fall.