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Space Tourism

Learn the latest news about space tourism and space tourist trips into outer space. Space.com looks at the growing business of space tourism. 

Related Topics: SpaceX, Virgin Galactic, Incredible Space Tech, International Space Station, Interstellar Travel 

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Blue Origin's New Shepard launch vehicle lifts from the company's West Texas launch site on a suborbital test flight. Blue Origin has set July 20 for its first crewed flight, including founder Jeff Bezos and the auction winner who placed a $28 million bid.

First seat to space on Blue Origin's New Shepard sells for $28 million

By Robert Z. Pearlman

With a high bid of $28 million, an unnamed individual has won the chance to join the richest person on Earth on a flight into space.

Blue Origin's New Shepard Spacecraft First Step launches on a suborbital spaceflight from West Texas on April 14, 2021.

Watch Blue Origin auction a seat on its 1st crewed spaceflight today

By Elizabeth Howell

You can watch live this Saturday (June 12) as people all over the world bid for the chance to go to space with Amazon founder and billionaire Jeff Bezos.

The Soyuz MS-17 spacecraft carrying NASA astronaut Kate Rubins and Russian cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Sergey Kud-Sverchkov is seen as it approaches the International Space Station on Oct. 14, 2020.

Russia wants you to buy a seat on a Soyuz mission to the space station

By Mike Wall

Glavkosmos, the marketing and management arm of the Russian federal space agency Roscosmos, is inviting folks to buy a trip to the International Space Station aboard a Soyuz spacecraft.

A crop from Blue Origin's website shows the current bid (as of Monday, June 7, 2021) on the first seat aboard New Shepard at $2.8 million. The auction ends Saturday, June 12.

Behind Blue Origin bids: RR Auction vets viers for New Shepard seat

By Robert Z. Pearlman

Boston-based firm RR Auction is vetting the people bidding to fly to space this summer on Blue Origin's New Shepard suborbital vehicle.

Founder Jeff Bezos has announced he and his brother will be among the passengers of Blue Origin's first crewed flight.

Jeff Bezos will join passengers launching into space on Blue Origin's 1st crewed flight

By Meghan Bartels

The Amazon.com and Blue Origin founder announced on Instagram that he and his brother would fly on the New Shepard vehicle's first crewed flight, scheduled for July 20.

Sian Proctor trains for her role as pilot of a SpaceX Crew Dragon for the upcoming Inspiration4 private space mission.

See the citizen astronauts of Inspiration4 learn how to fly a SpaceX Dragon (photos)

By Chelsea Gohd

The citizen astronauts flying to space with Inspiration4 this September are hard at work training for their mission at SpaceX HQ.

Michael Lopez-Alegria is assigned to command AX-1 in 2021, the first in a series of commercial missions to the International Space Station that will serve as a precursor to Axiom Space attaching its own modules to the orbital complex.

SpaceX to fly 3 more private astronaut missions to space station for Axiom Space

By Mike Wall

Axiom Space will fly three additional crewed missions to the International Space Station aboard SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule, the two companies announced today (June 2).

Former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, shown here on the International Space Station during the Expedition 50 mission in 2016, will return to the station in command of the private Ax-2 mission by Axiom Space..

Former astronaut Peggy Whitson will return to orbit in command of private Axiom Space mission

By Tariq Malik

Former astronaut Peggy Whitson will return to orbit as commander of a private mission to be launched by Axiom Space.

This screenshot from a Virgin Galactic video shows the company's VSS Unity vehicle firing up its rocket motor during its third test flight to suborbital space, on May 22, 2021.

Ride along with Virgin Galactic's 1st launch from Spaceport America in this awesome video

By Mike Wall

A dramatic video lets us all fly along on Virgin Galactic's latest spaceflight, which occurred over the weekend.

The view from Virgin Galactic's VSS Unity space plane during its third crewed spaceflight, which took place on May 22, 2021.

Virgin Galactic launches 1st SpaceShipTwo spaceflight from New Mexico

By Mike Wall

Virgin Galactic launched its first SpaceShipTwo suborbital spaceflight from New Mexico Saturday (May 22) in a big leap forward toward commercial launches.

Virgin Galactic's VSS Unity spaceliner captured this view of Earth during the vehicle's first trip to space, on Dec. 13, 2018.

Virgin Galactic will attempt its next SpaceShipTwo launch today

By Mike Wall

The May 22 launch will be the third crewed spaceflight of the suborbital VSS Unity vehicle.

Blue Origin's New Shepard Spacecraft First Step launches on a suborbital spaceflight from West Texas on April 14, 2021.

Blue Origin’s auction for a ride on its 1st crewed launch hits $2.6 million

By Mike Wall

The first customer to fly on Blue Origin's New Shepard suborbital spacecraft will pay millions.

soyuz ms-20 yusaku maezawa

Space tourist Yusaku Maezawa wants ideas for what to do in space

By Robert Z. Pearlman

The Discovery Channel will launch the new reality competition series "Who Wants To Be An Astronaut" in 2022 to award one lucky winner a trip to the International Space Station with Axiom Space.

Discovery Channel's 'Who Wants To Be An Astronaut' will launch a contest winner into orbit with Axiom Space

By Elizabeth Howell

The Discovery Channel has teamed up with Axiom Space to launch a contest winner into orbit in a competition series "Who Wants To Be An Astronaut."

Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa, shown here at an event announcing his plan to fly around the moon on SpaceX's Starship vehicle, has booked a trip to the International Space Station on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft. Liftoff is scheduled for Dec. 8, 2021.

Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa to fly to space station in December

By Mike Wall

Yusaku Maezawa, who's already scheduled to fly around the moon in 2023 on SpaceX's Starship vehicle, will visit the International Space Station this December.

Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket launches the crew capsule RSS First Step on an uncrewed suborbital test flight from the company's Launch Site One in West Texas on April 14, 2021.

Want to bid on Blue Origin's space tourist seat auction? Be sure to read the fine print

By Elizabeth Howell

Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin plans to auction off a seat for its debut crewed spaceflight on July 20, but you should read the conditions carefully before applying.

The view from a seat on Blue Origin's New Shepard Spacecraft First Step during a suborbital test flight on April 14, 2021.

Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin will launch its 1st astronaut flight on July 20 and you can bid for a seat

By Mike Wall

Blue Origin is targeting July 20 for the debut astronaut launch of its New Shepard vehicle, which is designed to take people and scientific experiments on brief trips to suborbital space.

Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket launches the crew capsule RSS First Step on an uncrewed suborbital test flight from the company's Launch Site One in West Texas on April 14, 2021.

Blue Origin will start selling seats on its New Shepard spacecraft next week

By Mike Wall

Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin is about to start selling seats on its New Shepard spacecraft, which is designed to people on brief trips to suborbital space.

Blue Origin's first upgraded New Shepard rocket and crew capsule launches on an uncrewed suborbital flight from the company's West Texas test site on Jan. 14, 2021.

Blue Origin to launch 'astronaut rehearsal' New Shepard test flight today. How to watch live.

By Mike Wall

Blue Origin plans to launch an uncrewed test flight of its New Shepard suborbital vehicle today (April 14), and you can watch the action live.

JAXA astronaut Soichi Noguchi, a member of the Association of Space Explorers executive committee, displays a Universal Astronaut Insignia on the International Space Station.

Universal Astronaut Insignia to unite world space explorers and travelers

By Robert Z. Pearlman

Sixty years after Yuri Gagarin became the first person to fly into space, a new symbol seeks to unite the hundreds of people who have followed his trajectory.