What Are The Costs of Space Travel

Going into space is something that we have known about for decades now. However, what about launching civilians into space? That has been done successfully now, and there are plenty of people who want to be a part of the action. In this article, we are going to be looking at the cost of space travel, so keep reading if you would like to find out more.

How Much Does It Cost?

This is going to entirely depend on who you book with, how you are looking to get there and the amount of luck that you have. If you are going to pay for your ticket to space and you want a full on orbital flight as well as a visit to the International Space Station, then you could be looking at as much as $55 million.

However, most seats are available for somewhere between $250,000 and $500,000 if you don’t go into orbit. The entire process takes around 15 minutes but for people who want more, it’s going to cost more.

Companies like Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic are the ones that you should look out for in 2022. In fact, if you know that there is no way to afford this yourself and you want to head into space, then there are competitions run by these companies to get you up there. 

Why Does It Cost So Much?

There are a number of reasons why it costs so much to go to space. The first is that it is still relatively new to use this type of technology for this purpose. Usually, things that are new are a lot more expensive than those that have been around for a long time, until more people cater to the demand.

It’s also important to understand that we rely on chemical propulsion to lift the rocket into orbit. For as long as this is the case, then space travel is always going to be expensive. It is true that generally, a rocket is going to need anywhere between 10 and 25 times as much propellant as the mass that is being lifted into orbit. 

Of course, we are still only just beginning commercial passenger space flight, and there are also other expensive costs that go with this. You need to learn about space and what it’s like to be up there before you can go so that it doesn’t hit you like a tonne of bricks, as it were. 

SpaceX is currently working on a commercial flight to the moon, which is bound to be expensive. The different conditions being out of our atmosphere are important to be considered. The distance to the moon is extreme, and of course will cost a lot of money to achieve, so it’s going to cost a lot of money to book your place.

Now, you should know a little more about the costs of space travel, and why it is such an expensive thing to experience. Try not to forget that when airplane travel was invented, it was only something that the rich could afford in the beginning. We’re sure that something is going to shift over the next few decades, making it a cheaper process.