What Kind of Space Tourist Are You?

If you're looking to officially earn your astronaut wings, you'll need to cross the 50-mile mark above the Earth, at least according to the United States. Soar to this altitude and beyond on board Virgin Galactic's VSS Unity, a SpaceShipTwo-class craft that seats two pilots and six passengers. Richard Branson took a successful test flight this summer, and hundreds of hopeful astronauts have already put deposits on tickets which started at $250,000 then rose to $450,000 during the latest round of sales. 

If you're looking for a real-deal rocket launch experience, you'll want to sign up with Blue Origin, which will fly space tourists to the stars in its New Shepard system. Like Roscosmos' Soyuz and SpaceX's Dragon, New Shepard offers vertical takeoffs via a rocket, with passengers nestled into a capsule. That means your experience comes complete with a countdown, crushing g-forces during launch (you'll feel up to three times the gravity of earth), weightlessness in space, and a parachute landing. While you can sign up for a spot now, ticket prices haven't officially been released (some say they'll cost around $250,000), and someone bid nearly $30 million to fly during this summer's launch with Jeff Bezos. 

If you want to experience a powerful emotional reaction to seeing the whole of the planet —  a.k.a. the "overview effect" — but you don't want to deal with the physical stress of a rocket launch, consider becoming a "bloonaut." Spain-based Zero2infinity has a pod called a Bloon that will gently carry four passengers and two crew members to near-space — an altitude of 22 miles — via a massive balloon. Then there's the company Space Perspective, which will also float guests to the edge of space via a balloon-and-pod system, this one called Spaceship Neptune. On both journeys, you won't be able to experience zero-g, but you will be able to snap a selfie with the curvature of the Earth — and even have a cocktail and dinner. 

Launching into space isn't the most eco-friendly endeavor, given the vast quantities of fuel burned in the process. But enter the two-seater SolarStratos, a 27-foot-long solar-powered aircraft with 240 square feet of solar cells that will take passengers into the stratosphere in a green manner. Its cruising altitude technically isn't space, but you'll be able to see the curvature of the Earth from up there.

Who needs space? If experiencing zero gravity is what spaceflight is all about for you, book a reduced-gravity flight. The Zero Gravity Corporation offers passengers simulated weightlessness on parabolic flights: Pilots fly planes in massive arches, and at their apex, the passengers inside experience nearly 30 seconds of weightlessness, where they're free to fly about the cabin. (This is one of the ways Hollywood films zero-gravity scenes for movies!) The plane does this fifteen times, so you get a total of around six and a half minutes of weightlessness during your flight. The best part is that it's relatively affordable compared to the other options here — the experience starts at $7,500.

For you, the International Space Station (ISS) is humanity's greatest achievement. Those six men and women who orbit our planet at 17,000 mph for months on end are the true pioneers of our species, and you'd give anything to be among them. You'll want to keep your eye on Space Adventures. The company has booked multi-day trips to the ISS for seven private citizens so far. Russian space agency Roscosmos has announced that it will send two tourists to the ISS with Space Adventures in 2023, one of whom will participate in a spacewalk. 

Axiom Space, a newcomer compared to Space Adventures, is also offering a trip to the ISS using SpaceX for its flight. 

If you'd like to add a little luxury to your space travels, plan to stay at Orbital Assembly's Voyager Station. On board, you'll find a gourmet restaurant, bar, gym, hotel rooms, and even villas available for purchase. The Voyager Station may open to guests as soon as 2027, with a price tag of around $5 million for a three-and-a-half-day experience.