Space tourism records highlight big achievements and milestones that civilian passengers hit when they venture beyond Earth’s atmosphere just for the thrill of it. These records keep tabs on all kinds of accomplishments, depending on the type of commercial spaceflight and who’s flying.
To count as a real space tourism record, a paying civilian has to cross the internationally recognized boundary of space. That’s the Kármán line—100 kilometers above Earth.
The Federal Aviation Administration calls these folks spaceflight participants instead of professional astronauts. This keeps recreational travelers separate from crew members who actually run the flight.
Only flights with commercial space tourism companies like Virgin Galactic, Blue Origin, or SpaceX count. Government-sponsored trips or regular astronaut missions don’t make the cut.
To verify a record, you need official flight logs, altitude data, and company confirmation. The flight must hit suborbital or orbital heights, let passengers float weightless, and offer a view of Earth’s curve.
Space tourism records break down into three main categories based on how the flight goes and how long it lasts. Suborbital records cover flights that reach space but don’t circle the planet, usually lasting 10-15 minutes above the Kármán line.
Orbital records are for flights that actually go around Earth at least once. These trips take more time, go higher, and often include docking with space stations.
Passenger milestone records celebrate unique achievements among tourists—like the youngest or oldest passenger, the first traveler from a certain country, or notable crew makeups.
Duration and distance records focus on how long someone spends in space, the highest point they reach, and how far they travel. These stats help set the bar for future commercial spaceflight and shape passenger expectations.
Dennis Tito broke new ground in 2001 as the first paying space tourist, shelling out $20 million for a trip to the ISS. Anousheh Ansari followed as the first woman space tourist in 2006. Age records stretch from 18-year-old Oliver Daemen up to 90-year-old William Shatner.
Dennis Tito made history on April 28, 2001, when he became the first person to pay his own way to space. This American businessman and former NASA engineer spent $20 million for an eight-day trip to the International Space Station aboard a Russian Soyuz.
NASA pushed back hard, worried about safety and the idea of turning space into a business. In the end, Roscosmos gave the green light for his flight, working with Space Adventures.
Tito spent his time at the ISS doing basic scientific experiments and snapping photos of Earth. His safe return proved regular folks (with deep pockets, anyway) could survive space travel.
His trip cracked open the door for commercial space travel. Tito later donated his Sokol pressure suit to the National Air and Space Museum in 2003. His flight showed that space tourism was more than just a sci-fi dream for the super-rich.
Anousheh Ansari became the first female space tourist on September 18, 2006. This Iranian-American entrepreneur and engineer dropped around $20 million for a 10-day mission to the ISS.
Originally, Ansari was just the backup for Japanese businessman Daisuke Enomoto, but she stepped in when he was disqualified for medical reasons. She trained for six months at Star City in Russia before blasting off aboard Soyuz TMA-9.
Ansari did scientific experiments and wrote a blog from orbit—the first person to ever do so. Her posts reached millions back on Earth.
Her flight inspired a lot of women to chase careers in space and tech. Ansari also co-sponsored the Ansari X Prize to push private spacecraft development. Her journey made it clear that space tourism wasn’t just for men and helped broaden the commercial space world.
Oliver Daemen set the youngest space tourist record at 18. The Dutch student joined Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket on July 20, 2021, flying with Jeff Bezos and two others.
Daemen’s father, a private equity executive, bought the ticket after the original auction winner delayed their flight. The suborbital trip lasted about 11 minutes, reaching 66 miles above Earth.
On the flip side, William Shatner became the oldest space tourist at 90. The Star Trek legend flew with Blue Origin on October 13, 2021, on New Shepard’s second crewed flight.
Wally Funk, 82, had briefly held the oldest record during the July 2021 Blue Origin flight with Daemen. The aviation pioneer and Mercury 13 alum finally got her shot at space after decades of waiting.
These age extremes show that space tourism really does appeal across generations. The physical requirements keep getting more manageable for everyday people, too.
Space Adventures has arranged eight orbital tourism flights. SpaceX’s Inspiration4 mission made headlines as the first all-civilian orbital journey with zero professional astronauts.
Charles Simonyi set the record for the longest combined orbital stay by a space tourist. The Microsoft co-founder completed two separate missions to the ISS through Space Adventures.
His first trip launched in April 2007 aboard a Soyuz. Simonyi spent 13 days, 18 hours, and 58 minutes in orbit. He ran scientific experiments and kept a blog during his stay.
Simonyi went back in March 2009 for a second orbital adventure. That time, he stayed 13 days, 18 hours, and 35 minutes. He became the first private citizen to pay for two trips to space.
All told, Simonyi racked up more than 27 days in orbital space tourism flights. Space Adventures arranged both missions, and Roscosmos handled transportation. The total price tag for his space habit? Over $60 million.
Space Adventures ran the most private orbital missions between 2001 and 2009. The company sent seven private citizens on eight separate trips to the ISS.
Dennis Tito led the way in 2001, spending eight days on the ISS. Mark Shuttleworth followed in 2002 as the first African in space. Anousheh Ansari made history in 2006 as the first female space tourist and first Iranian in orbit.
Axiom Space has taken the lead for private ISS missions lately. The company pulled off Axiom Mission 1 in April 2022, sending four private crew members to the station for 17 days. They’ve followed up with even more private missions.
SpaceX’s Inspiration4 mission set a new bar as the first fully civilian orbital flight with no pro astronauts. The 2021 mission lasted three days and carried four private citizens to an altitude higher than the ISS.
Private companies keep pushing the limits of civilian spaceflight. Virgin Galactic’s VSS Unity has climbed over 280,000 feet, while Blue Origin’s New Shepard has carried six passengers at once.
Virgin Galactic holds the altitude record for commercial suborbital flights. The SpaceShipTwo vehicle, VSS Unity, has soared past 282,000 feet (86 kilometers) with paying passengers.
Blue Origin’s New Shepard routinely crosses the Kármán line at 330,000 feet (100 kilometers). This rocket actually flies higher than Virgin Galactic’s air-launched system.
The original SpaceShipOne, built by Scaled Composites, hit 367,490 feet in 2004. That flight snagged the Ansari X Prize, but it only carried a pilot—not paying tourists.
Virgin Galactic drops SpaceShipTwo from a carrier aircraft at 50,000 feet. The rocket engine kicks in and pushes passengers above 250,000 feet, giving them several minutes of weightlessness.
New Shepard launches straight up from the ground and easily crosses the space boundary. Both the capsule and booster come back down for reuse.
Blue Origin set the record for most passengers on a suborbital flight, packing six people into New Shepard. The capsule’s big windows and roomy seats let tourists float together and take in the view.
Virgin Galactic usually flies four passengers plus two pilots on VSS Unity. The company’s astronaut instructor Beth Moses became the first woman to ride on a commercial spaceship during test flights.
New Shepard’s automated flight system doesn’t need a pilot, so all six seats go to customers or crew. The 11-minute ride gives everyone about three minutes of weightlessness above the Kármán line.
SpaceShipTwo needs two pilots for its glider-style landing, which means fewer seats for passengers but offers a piloted spaceflight experience.
Both companies have flown celebrities, business leaders, and regular space fans. These flights show that suborbital space tourism can safely take multiple civilians on each trip.
A handful of companies have pulled off groundbreaking milestones in commercial spaceflight. SpaceX leads the pack in human launches, while early spacecraft like SpaceShipOne paved the way for today’s tourism rockets.
SpaceX stands out as the top private company for human spaceflight launches. Their Crew Dragon program has sent more civilians into space than anyone else.
Space Adventures Ltd. kicked off the whole orbital tourism thing between 2001 and 2009. The Virginia-based company arranged eight trips for seven people to the ISS.
Key Launch Records:
In May 2023, 17 space tourists orbited Earth at the same time—a wild record that saw missions from China, Russia, the US, UAE, and Saudi Arabia all happening together.
Back in 2004, SpaceShipOne pulled off something wild: it reached space twice in just two weeks, all on private funding. That milestone snagged the Ansari X Prize and, honestly, showed everyone that commercial space travel could actually work.
Virgin Galactic jumped in and licensed SpaceShipOne’s design, leading to SpaceShipTwo. Now, SpaceShipTwo carries paying folks on suborbital trips out of Spaceport America.
Blue Origin built New Shepard for automated suborbital tourism. They’ve already launched several crews of civilians into space.
Vehicle Milestones:
SpaceX has its eyes on the future with Starship. This massive ship aims to take bigger groups on longer journeys—maybe even farther than we’ve ever gone.
SpaceX’s Inspiration4 really made headlines in 2021 as the first all-civilian orbital mission. Polaris Dawn then took things even further, pushing private spaceflight to new heights with record-breaking altitude and the first commercial spacewalk.
In September 2021, SpaceX launched four civilians into orbit on Crew Dragon. For the first time, regular people made it to space without any professional astronauts tagging along.
Jared Isaacman paid for and led the mission. He picked his three crewmates in a way that really caught the public’s eye.
Sian Proctor nabbed her spot after winning an online business contest. She became the fourth Black woman in space and the first Black female spacecraft pilot.
Hayley Arceneaux joined as a childhood cancer survivor and physician assistant representing St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. At just 29, she became the youngest American to reach space.
Chris Sembroski won his ticket through a charity raffle. As an Air Force vet and data engineer, he brought some serious technical know-how to the team.
The Dragon capsule spent three days orbiting Earth at 367 miles up—higher than the ISS. The crew got to enjoy some unreal views through a custom glass dome.
All four spent months training. They drilled emergency procedures, learned the ins and outs of the spacecraft, and got ready for in-flight medical research.
The Polaris Dawn mission, led by Jared Isaacman, soared to 870 miles above Earth in 2024, the highest Earth orbit since Apollo. Two crew members pulled off the first commercial spacewalk, testing SpaceX suits meant for future Mars trips.
That flight lasted five days and packed in dozens of science experiments. The crew studied radiation’s effects on the human body at those crazy high altitudes.
Axiom Space kicked off private missions to the ISS in 2022, flying business execs and researchers who paid around $55 million per seat.
Virgin Galactic started flying commercial suborbital trips for paying customers in 2023. Each flight lasted about 90 minutes and hit 50 miles up—the edge of space.
Blue Origin sent multiple crews on quick suborbital hops. Their New Shepard capsule lets passengers float in weightlessness for four minutes and see Earth’s curve.
The space tourism scene owes a lot to bold entrepreneurs who put up millions to see space with their own eyes. Celebrities have jumped in too, bringing a wave of mainstream buzz.
Dennis Tito kicked things off as the first paying space tourist in 2001, dropping $20 million for six days on the ISS. He flew on a Russian Soyuz and proved civilians could pull it off.
Mark Shuttleworth followed in 2002, becoming the second space tourist and the first African in space. He paid about $20 million for a 10-day ISS adventure.
Gregory Olsen joined the club in 2005, spending $20 million for eight days in orbit. He even ran science experiments while he was up there.
Charles Simonyi really went for it, flying to the ISS twice in 2007 and 2009. The Microsoft exec spent nearly 27 days in space, making him the only repeat space tourist from that early group.
Richard Garriott made his trip in 2008, becoming the first second-generation American astronaut. His dad flew for NASA, which is just wild.
Guy Laliberté, the Cirque du Soleil founder, visited the ISS in 2009 as the seventh space tourist. He used his mission to raise awareness for water conservation from orbit.
Richard Branson finally flew to space on his own Virgin Galactic VSS Unity in July 2021, becoming the first billionaire founder to ride his own ship. His suborbital flight showed that space tourism could actually be for the public.
Jeff Bezos wasn’t far behind. Just 11 days later, he flew on Blue Origin’s New Shepard with his brother and two others, hitting over 100 kilometers in altitude.
William Shatner—yeah, Captain Kirk himself—became the oldest person to reach space at 90 when he flew on New Shepard in October 2021. His reaction to seeing Earth from above really moved a lot of people.
Anousheh Ansari broke new ground in 2006 as the first female space tourist and first Iranian-American in space. Her trip to the ISS inspired women everywhere to chase space careers.
Modern spacecraft and advanced safety systems now make these record-breaking flights possible. Thanks to these tech leaps, regular people can reach space while companies keep pushing the limits of what’s possible.
SpaceShipTwo and VSS Unity changed suborbital tourism with their air-launch system. Virgin Galactic’s ship drops from a carrier plane at 50,000 feet, then fires its rocket.
Passengers get three or four minutes of weightlessness. The ship hits Mach 3.5 and climbs above 50 miles.
New Shepard does things differently with vertical launches and landings. Blue Origin’s capsule splits from its booster at the edge of space, giving passengers huge windows for the best views during the 10-minute ride.
Crew Dragon lets civilians go on multi-day orbital flights. SpaceX’s capsule supports up to seven people and has all the life support needed for longer trips.
Starship is the next step. SpaceX wants it to take dozens of people to the Moon or maybe even farther.
Modern spacecraft pack in backup systems and abort options. Crew Dragon has a launch escape system that can yank the capsule away from the rocket if something goes wrong.
Automated flight systems cut down human error. AI navigation keeps an eye on everything and can adjust the flight path or handle hazards faster than a pilot.
Training for civilians now takes weeks instead of years. Centrifuge rides simulate up to 3.5 G’s, and parabolic flights let passengers try weightlessness before the real deal.
Medical checks make sure passengers are good to go, but you don’t need to be an astronaut-level athlete. Most companies accept folks with common health issues, as long as nothing major pops up during pre-flight screening.
Passengers also get trained for emergencies, like cabin depressurization or rough landings. They learn how to use safety gear and talk to ground control if things get dicey.
Record-breaking space tourism flights have pumped billions into market growth and pulled in huge investments from private and government sources. The global space economy hit $613 billion in 2024, with commercial travel playing a big part.
Space tourism went from sci-fi to a multi-billion-dollar business thanks to SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Virgin Galactic. Every record flight convinced more investors and customers that this was legit.
Analysts think the market could bring in $10 to $15 billion a year by 2030. That’s all because these flights proved civilians could fly safely and companies could run reliably.
Private space travel keeps getting cheaper as companies rack up more flights. Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin set price points that, while still steep, opened doors for wealthy customers.
Key Market Drivers:
The industry now supports thousands of jobs in manufacturing, operations, and support. Record flights bring a surge of business to launch hubs—especially in Florida and Texas.
These record flights draw in big venture capital and institutional money. SpaceX raised more than $10 billion, and Blue Origin got billions from Jeff Bezos.
Investment Categories:
Every successful flight pumps up company valuations and attracts more funding. Virgin Galactic’s stock soared after its first crewed flights, showing investors believe in space tourism’s future.
Insurance companies now sell specialized policies for space travel, which is kind of wild. That’s opened up new ways to manage risk and helped the industry grow.
Governments chip in with tax breaks and grants for companies hitting safety and operational milestones. That extra support speeds up investment and helps cover costs for breakthrough flights.
The Federal Aviation Administration keeps watch over commercial spaceflight with strict licensing systems. Laws like the Commercial Space Launch Amendments Act have set the groundwork, allowing private companies to run safe space tourism missions.
The FAA has licensed or permitted over 1,000 commercial space operations since it began overseeing private spaceflight activities. Hitting this milestone in August 2025 marks more than 35 years of regulatory oversight—not bad for an agency once focused solely on airplanes.
The agency works to keep public safety at the forefront, but it also tries to ease the regulatory load. Part 450 licensing rules let companies run multiple operations under a single license, which really cuts down on paperwork and costs for space tourism firms.
Right now, seven operators hold Part 450 licenses. A few more wait in the wings, going through the approval process.
The FAA figures the next 1,000 missions will happen in under five years, given how fast the industry’s growing.
If a commercial space company wants to launch or reenter, it needs an FAA license. FAA officials look at safety systems, flight paths, and emergency plans before giving the green light.
Back in 2004, the Commercial Space Launch Amendments Act set up the regulatory framework for today’s space tourism world. Congress gave the FAA authority to regulate commercial human spaceflight.
The act brought in informed consent requirements for space flight participants. Passengers have to acknowledge the risks before they ever step inside a spacecraft.
Lawmakers wanted to help the industry grow, but they didn’t want to forget about safety. The act also allows for experimental permits so companies can test out new spacecraft designs.
It draws a line between crew members and space flight participants, creating different regulatory buckets. That way, companies can follow safety protocols tailored specifically for civilian passengers.
A handful of companies have announced plans to send paying customers around the Moon. These missions aim for records like the first commercial lunar flights and the longest civilian space journeys.
Russian space agency Roscosmos and private groups like Space Adventures have floated ideas for circumlunar tourism trips that could make history in commercial space travel.
Space Adventures has led the early push for lunar tourism, planning to send two passengers around the Moon in a modified Soyuz spacecraft. They initially set ticket prices at $100 million, then bumped them up to $150 million per seat.
Their mission plan includes a 10-day stay at the International Space Station, followed by a six-day lunar flyby.
Passengers would launch to the ISS aboard Soyuz, which gets some beefed-up heat shields for the trip. After docking with a separately launched habitat module, the combined vehicle would swing around the Moon on a free-return trajectory.
SpaceX made headlines in 2017, announcing plans to fly two private customers around the Moon using Dragon 2 spacecraft and Falcon Heavy rockets. The mission would last about a week, looping around the Moon without landing.
Starship, SpaceX’s big next-gen rocket, is probably the boldest lunar tourism idea out there. Its huge capacity could mean more passengers per trip—and maybe even lunar landings for tourists one day.
Roscosmos subsidiary RSC Energia has talked about building its own lunar tourism capabilities. They’ve targeted the early 2020s for commercial circumlunar flights using Russian spacecraft and launchers.
Whoever flies first as a commercial lunar passenger will likely set a bunch of records in one go. Think longest civilian spaceflight, farthest distance traveled by paying customers, and first non-government folks to reach the Moon.
Lunar tourism missions could smash altitude records for commercial passengers, since they’ll get about 400,000 kilometers from Earth. That’s a massive leap from the current record—still under 600 kilometers in low Earth orbit.
Speed records will probably fall too, as lunar-bound ships hit over 11 kilometers per second during the burn to the Moon. That’s way faster than anything suborbital or orbital tourism companies have managed so far.
The first companies to pull off lunar tourism flights will set important operational precedents for deep space commercial trips. Mission lengths could stretch from a few days in orbit to a full 7-14 days for lunar journeys.
If companies send multiple passengers on a single lunar mission, they could break several records at once. This gets even more interesting if international travelers or celebrities join in to make their own spaceflight history.
Space tourism companies now offer everything from brief suborbital hops to full orbital missions. Prices range wildly—from $200,000 for a quick taste of weightlessness, to $55 million for a trip to the International Space Station.
SpaceX currently dominates the commercial spaceflight scene, holding about 72% of America’s market share for space tourism. The company flies Crew Dragon spacecraft on orbital missions out of Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Thanks to their reusable Falcon 9 rockets, they’ve slashed launch costs compared to old-school expendable rockets.
Blue Origin focuses on suborbital flights with its New Shepard vehicle. Jeff Bezos founded the company, and they offer 11-minute trips with about 4 minutes of weightlessness. New Shepard takes up to six passengers at a time from the West Texas launch site.
Virgin Galactic flies out of Spaceport America in New Mexico. Their system is a bit different—SpaceShipTwo launches from under the WhiteKnightTwo airplane at 50,000 feet. They’re going after customers who want a space experience but aren’t interested in multi-day missions.
These three companies control most of the U.S. commercial space tourism market, each with its own take on civilian spaceflight and different price points and trip lengths.
Dennis Tito made history as the first paying space tourist in 2001. He spent eight days on the International Space Station, booking his trip through Space Adventures and paying $20 million for the privilege.
Space tourism picked up steam with SpaceX’s first fully private orbital mission in December 2024. The Inspiration4 mission featured an all-civilian crew led by entrepreneur Jared Isaacman.
Virgin Galactic kicked off its Galactic Voyager suborbital program in January 2025. This made space tourism a bit more accessible, with lower prices than orbital flights.
By 2024, the US space tourism market hit $327.60 million and made up over 46% of the total global market. About 68% of all booked passengers worldwide are from the US, showing just how strong the demand is at home.
Interest in suborbital flights has shot up by more than 52% in the last year. People seem more aware—and more confident—about the safety of commercial space travel.
Suborbital flights typically cost between $200,000 and $500,000, depending on the company. Blue Origin currently offers the lowest entry point, with New Shepard seats going for about $200,000.
Virgin Galactic positions itself as a premium suborbital provider, charging around $450,000 per ticket. Their SpaceShipTwo gives passengers several minutes of weightlessness and a killer view of Earth’s curve.
Orbital missions are a whole different ballgame, price-wise. SpaceX Crew Dragon flights to the ISS run about $55-60 million per person. Private orbital missions without an ISS visit can range from $250,000 to $500,000 per seat.
If you want to stay longer in orbit, tack on about $35,000 per day to the base price. Longer ISS visits cost more, mostly because of facility usage fees.
The Falcon 9’s reusability has driven launch costs down by as much as 90% compared to rockets that get used once and tossed. This lets SpaceX offer more competitive rates to both governments and commercial clients.
Space tourism delivers real economic benefits in several regions. Morgan Stanley Research predicts the space tourism market could top $800 billion by 2030, creating jobs and driving new tech.
The industry supports launch facilities in states like Florida, New Mexico, Texas, and California. Each spaceport means local jobs and attracts aerospace companies to set up shop nearby.
But the high price tags keep most people out for now. Only the wealthy can afford it, which raises questions about who gets to experience space and whether that’s fair.
Safety is another big concern. Companies pour money into redundant systems, thorough testing, and insurance, but space travel is risky by nature.
Rocket launches aren’t exactly gentle on the environment, either. They produce emissions and noise, and more frequent flights could make those impacts worse as the industry grows.
Training requirements also vary a lot. For orbital flights, passengers need weeks of training—think astronaut boot camp, with emergency drills and spacecraft systems practice.
The Inspiration4 mission in 2021 was the first all-civilian orbital spaceflight. Jared Isaacman led the SpaceX Dragon capsule and picked three crew members, showing private citizens really can command a space mission.
William Shatner set a record as the oldest person to reach space at age 90 with Blue Origin. His emotional reaction to seeing Earth from above resonated with people worldwide and proved age isn’t always a barrier.
Wally Funk finally got her chance to go to space at age 82, flying on Blue Origin’s New Shepard in 2021. She trained as part of the Mercury 13 program in the 1960s but had to wait decades for her shot.
Axiom Space organizes private missions to the International Space Station for qualified travelers. These trips give participants extended time in orbit and a stunning view of Earth from the ISS.
Plenty of other civilians have flown both suborbitally and orbitally with various commercial providers. The growing list of passengers shows that confidence in commercial spaceflight safety and reliability is on the rise.
SpaceX leads the orbital space tourism market with their Crew Dragon spacecraft. They hit a huge milestone when they flew their first fully private orbital mission with all civilian passengers.
With Crew Dragon, people get to spend several days in orbit, not just a few minutes. They can look down at Earth, run experiments, and really feel what it’s like to live in weightlessness for a while.
SpaceX uses their reusable Falcon 9 rockets to slash launch costs. Because of this, commercial passengers can now think about going to space without the price tag being totally out of reach.
Starship is SpaceX’s next-generation vehicle, and it’s a big deal. This ship could take civilians to the Moon or even Mars—imagine that—so the idea of space tourism keeps getting bigger.
They launch from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, which feels kind of iconic. By working with NASA and other agencies, SpaceX opens the door for more people to get to space.
SpaceX has shown they can safely fly NASA astronauts, which makes a difference for anyone considering space tourism. After several successful crewed flights, people have more reason to trust their spacecraft and launch systems.
