Space tourism is space travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. A number of startup companies have sprung up in recent years, hoping to create a space tourism industry. Orbital space tourism opportunities have been limited and expensive, with only the Russian Space Agency providing transport to date.
The publicized price for flights brokered by Space Adventures to the International Space Station aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft have been US$20–35 million, during the period 2001–2009. Some space tourists have signed contracts with third parties to conduct certain research activities while in orbit.
Russia halted orbital space tourism in 2010 due to the increase in the International Space Station crew size, using the seats for expedition crews that would be sold to paying spaceflight participants. However, tourist flights are tentatively planned to resume in 2013, when the number of single-use three-person Soyuz launches could rise to five a year.
As an alternative term to "tourism", some organizations such as the Commercial Spaceflight Federation use the term "personal spaceflight". The Citizens in Space project uses the term "citizen space exploration".
As of September 2012, with the setup where multiple companies are offering sales of orbital and suborbital flights, with varying durations and creature comforts, the New York Times declares that "Space Tourism Is Here!"
Read more about Space Tourism: Early Dreams, Precursors, Orbital Space Tourism, Suborbital Flights, Education and Advocacy, Attitudes Toward Space Tourism, Expected Economic Growth of Space Tourism
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