SpaceX launched a space tourism trip carrying three wealthy businessmen and an astronaut accompanying them to the International Space Station on Friday for more than a week, as NASA joins Russia in hosting guests at the world’s most expensive tourist destination.
It’s SpaceX’s first private charter flight to the orbiting laboratory two years after flying astronauts there for NASA.
An American, Canadian and Israeli who manage investment and real estate companies and other companies will arrive at the space station on Saturday. They’re paying $55 million per person for the rocket ride and accommodation, including all meals.
Russia has been hosting tourists at the space station – and before that Mir – for decades. Just last fall, a Russian film crew flew in, followed by a Japanese fashion mogul and his assistant. And NASA is finally getting to work, after years of opposition from space station visitors.
“It’s been an amazing journey and we’re looking forward to the next 10 days,” former NASA astronaut and companion Michael Lopez-Alegria said upon reaching orbit.
Visitor tickets include access to all the space stations except for the Russian part – they will need permission from the three cosmonauts on board.
Private company Axiom Space arranged the visit with NASA for its three paying customers: Larry Connor of Dayton, Ohio, who runs the Connor Group; Mark Bathy, founder and CEO of Mavrik Corp in Montreal; and Israeli Eitan Stibi, a former fighter pilot and co-founder of Vital Capital.
Before launch, their enthusiasm was palpable: Stippy did a little dance as he arrived at the rocket at the Kennedy Space Center.
Lopez Allegria, who spent seven months on the space station 15 years ago, said SpaceX and NASA have been upfront with them about the dangers of spaceflight.
“I think there’s no fog around what the risks are or what bad days might look like,” Lopez Allegria told The Associated Press before the trip.
Every visitor has a complete list of experiences to do during their nine to ten days there, which is one reason they don’t want to be called space tourists.
They’re not there to stick their noses in the window,” said Michael Suffredini, co-founder and president of Axiom and a former director of the NASA space station program.
The three businessmen are the last to benefit from opening up space for those with big pockets. Jeff Bezos’ rocket company Blue Origin is taking customers on 10-minute flights to the edge of space, while Virgin Galactic expects to begin flying customers aboard its rocket ship later this year.
Friday’s flight is the second private charter flight for SpaceX Elon Musk, which the billionaire and his guests took on a three-day trip last year.
Next year, Axiom aims to launch its second private flight to the space station. More customer flights will follow, with Axiom adding its rooms to the orbital complex beginning in 2024.
After about five years, the company plans to separate its booths to form a self-sustaining terminal.
