In this new era where we are slowly stepping into space tourism, Russia’s Roscosmos space agency has sent four amateur astronauts to the International Space Station in two missions it has organized since October. NASA is also preparing for its first such flight, scheduled for February 2022 by private spaceflight company Axiom using SpaceX hardware.
NASA gives the green light to ISS tourism
This week, NASA announced its second special mission to the ISS, Axiom Mission 2 (Ax-2). The details of the mission, along with who will be the tourists who want to visit the International Space Station, will be announced between the fall of 2022 and the end of the spring of 2023.
If you haven’t made your holiday reservation early, you can wait a little longer. Because a NASA crewed rocket will stay docked with the ISS for 14 days after taking off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. In other words, you will be able to take a 2-week orbital vacation.
Of course, there is no information about who will get on the rocket yet. Also, it is not clear whether everyone who wants to go can go. But eyes turned to Tom Cruise after NASA confirmed last year that he had spoken to Hollywood legend about using the orbiting outpost to shoot scenes for a movie.
On the other hand, as Russian movie star Yulia Peresild beat Cruise to become the first actor to shoot a movie in space, it’s unclear whether the journey still holds the same appeal for the American entertainer. But even Brad Pitt may be willing to go if there is a sweet rivalry between countries.
The space agency said on Monday that people going to the ISS must pass astronaut tests. He also made the following statement:
NASA and its international partners will review the specific astronaut selections proposed by Axiom for the Ax-2 mission, as is standard for any space station crew. Proposed crew members will undergo NASA medical proficiency testing to be approved for flight.
Low Earth orbit goes commercial
Axiom’s first mission early next year will take three civilians and a former astronaut to the space station for a stay of about a week. Each of the members of the group, an investor, entrepreneur, and retired fighter pilot, is said to have paid an eye-watering $55 million for the journey of their lives, which is thought to be shared between Axiom, SpaceX and NASA. They will also be able to work on their own research and various charitable projects during their time at the station.
In addition to the actor and filmmaker who visited the ISS in October courtesy of several Russian media companies, Roscosmos more recently took two Japanese space tourists to the ISS, one of which is billionaire entrepreneur Yusaku Maezawa. However, it is not known how much he received from people for this adventure.
Critics say space agencies have turned the ISS into a playground for the super-rich. But some of the money given by the tourists will be used to fund ongoing scientific work at the orbiting lab. This will ease the burden of taxpayers. But critics say there is no end to it, and if it continues like this, the White House could soon be hired for money.
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