Space Tourism: The Latest News, Features and Photos

Virgin Galactic customer Joanne Le Bon got a taste of weightlessness aboard a ZERO-G flight in September 2013.
Virgin Galactic customer Joanne Le Bon got a taste of weightlessness aboard a ZERO-G flight in September 2013. (Image credit: Steve Boxall)

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 

Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: community@space.com.

Latest about space tourism

Photo of a Blue Origin New Shepard rocket launching the NS-20 space tourist mission in March 2022.

Watch Blue Origin launch 'Space Gal' Emily Calandrelli, 5 others on tourism flight Nov. 22

By Josh Dinner published

Blue Origin's next space tourism mission is launching Nov. 22, with 'Space Gal' Emily Calandrelli. Watch live on Space.com.

Private Spaceflight
a white rocket launches into a blue sky

Blue Origin targeting Nov. 22 for next space tourism launch

By Mike Wall published

Blue Origin is targeting Friday (Nov. 28) for its NS-28 tourism mission, which will take "Space Gal" Emily Calandrelli and five other people to suborbital space.

Private Spaceflight
headshots of six smiling people — two women and four men

Next Blue Origin space tourism flight will launch 'Space Gal' Emily Calandrelli

By Mike Wall published

Blue Origin has announced the six crewmembers for NS-28, its next suborbital space tourism mission. Among them are 'Space Gal' Emily Calandrelli and two repeat customers.

Private Spaceflight
European Space Agency reserve astronaut John McFall takes part in a parabolic flight on April 6, 2023 sponsored by the agency and Novespace, in Bordeaux, France. McFall is the first reserve astronaut with a disability.

Recruiting the world’s first disabled astronaut doesn't mean space travel is inclusive – here’s how to change that

By Sean Cullen, Ezgi Merdin Uygur, Vanja Garaj published

How can space agencies and “space tourism” companies make spaceflight more inclusive for disabled astronauts?

Human Spaceflight
illustration of a blue and white space capsule against a blue background

Chinese company Deep Blue Aerospace plans to start launching space tourists in 2027

By Mike Wall published

Chinese company Deep Blue Aerospace plans to start launching customers to suborbital space and back in 2027, for a price of about $210,000 per seat.

Human Spaceflight
at left, a photo of a white rocket launching into a blue sky; at right, a closeup of a black monolith with the words "2001: a space odyssey" and a picture of a saturn-like planet on it

Mini '2001' monoliths fly into space on first flight of Blue Origin's 2nd crew ship

By Robert Z. Pearlman published

A number of black slabs modeled after the monoliths in "2001: A Space Odyssey" have made the trip into space and back on the first flight of Blue Origin's second human-rated launch vehicle.

Private Spaceflight
a white-and-blue rocket launches under a blue sky

Blue Origin launches 2nd human-rated New Shepard rocket, nails landing (video)

By Mike Wall last updated

Blue Origin launched its second human-rated New Shepard vehicle on an uncrewed flight Wednesday morning (Oct. 23) and nailed the landing of both crew capsule and rocket.

Human Spaceflight
view of earth's curve against the blackness of space

Richard Branson will co-pilot Space Perspective's 1st crewed balloon flight to edge of Earth's atmosphere

By Mike Wall published

Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson will serve as co-pilot on tourism company Space Perspective's first crewed balloon flight, expected to occur in 2025.

Private Spaceflight
a circular patch with the words "space rescue service" sits against a photo of deep space, showing stars and purple gas clouds

US needs 'space rescue service' to help astronauts in distress, experts say

By Leonard David published

The lessons of Apollo, Skylab and the space shuttle appear to have been forgotten: The US needs a plan for how to deal with human spaceflight emergencies, experts say.

Space Exploration
six people stand in front of a white rocket booster on a landing pad, holding a blue sign that reads "moondao"

Lucky ticket to space: How a Tennessee cardiologist made it to the final frontier

By Anastasia Stepanova published

Eiman Jahangir narrowly missed out on being a NASA astronaut — twice. But he made it to space anyway, thanks to persistence and some luck.

Human Spaceflight
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Archives