The Market For Such Flights

With so much attention and effort being focus on the space industry, some people wonder if there is actually a real market for such flights. A recent survey on space travel that was conducted of people in developed countries confirmed that there are indeed potential passengers willing to pay for this experience. The survey found that more than 60 percent of its respondents would be willing to pay between $15,000 and $20,000 to experience a trip to outer space. In addition, Space Adventures did its own poll of some of the most interested space travelers, in order to find out what such an experience is worth to them. Many of its respondents said they would be willing to pay about 30 percent of their annual gross income for this adventure. Further, respondents in lower income brackets were more likely to say they would devote an even higher portion of their earnings to this endeavor.

But some skeptics in the field say that although the intent is there to make such an experience cost-effective for interested participants, it may not come to bear in the near future. To put this into perspective, one expert estimates that it costs $17 billion to build a space craft. With 50 seats on it at $150,000 a ticket, you would need as many as 800 flights a year to make it feasible.

The Future Of Space Travel

With the stakes so high – literally – when it comes to space travel, in addition to the vessels being created, some of the top players in the aerospace field are working to come up with new, less expensive ways, to make this experience more accessible for the average person. And despite the range of nay-sayers that exist, some experts do truly believe that the price for a journey into weightlessness will go down to about the cost of a low to moderately-priced car in the near future.

In fact, an executive at Space Adventures point out that for people who have a little money to invest in a small adventure and an urge to experience something different, there are already a few much less expensive options that are limited to Russia right now, but may at some point soon be also be possible closer to home for Americans.

You can arrange to travel at about two and a half times the speed of sound to the edge of the atmosphere and remain there for approximately 90 seconds at a price of $12,595.

You can also board a cargo plane that goes into the parabolic arc that actually simulates weightlessness for its passengers at a cost of $5,400.

So if money is right but travel into outer space is on your list of “must do’s” over the next few years, you might want to start saving up now for when these types of experiences become available in the U.S.