5 Space Tourism Experiences You Can Book In 2022

As we approach the new year, there’s always talk of new trends. One such trend that finally kicked off in 2021 and will undoubtedly gain momentum in 2022 is space tourism. By mid-2021, two private companies – Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin – launched paying customers to space.

While we haven’t yet gotten commercial space stations or moon vacations, space tourism is definitely here to stay – and will have some exciting developments in 2022.

One of the great criticisms of space tourism is its cost; it’s prohibitively expensive for most people and thus feels inaccessible. In fact, there are ways to bring space into your life in 2022 – even if you’re not taking yourself to space (or the edge of it).

Here are five ways to experience space tourism in the coming year, from budget-friendly to budget blow-out.

Dark Sky Festivals

Observers on the main field at the Saskatchewan Summer Star Party in the dark sky preserve of ... [+]

 VWPICS/UNIVERSAL IMAGES GROUP VIA GETTY IMAGES

For a low-cost, accessible, outdoors, and distance-friendly way to bring more space into your life in 2022, consider attending a dark sky festival. Many of these events were cancelled in 2020 and/or 2021, but some great dark sky destinations have figured out how to have safe outdoor under-the-star experiences.

“We were thrilled to bring back the Dark Sky Festival for the third time after taking a year off due to the pandemic,” said Nick Cusick, Events and Marketing Coordinator for Visit Cook County, Minnesota – far north along the Canadian border. “With that said, this year we limited attendance for programs and presentations and required masking to keep the event as safe as possible.”

Astrotourism – or traveling to see the night sky – saw huge growth in 2020 and 2021 and people felt more comfortable being outdoors and away from others than in big, crowded cities. “We see the growing interest in astrotourism and believe there is a ton of potential for events like our Dark Sky Festival,” Cusick concludes.

Space Camp

Adolescent repairing satellite in cargo bay of space shuttle at the United States Space Camp in ... [+]

 CORBIS VIA GETTY IMAGES

Even if you missed the opportunity to live the dream as a space-interested kid, Space Camp is still an option. Space Camp does offer a variety of adult programs, with dates available between February and July 2022.

Experiences range from the two-day basic program to a six-day advanced academy where you’ll immerse yourself in the hands-on training and work that astronauts do. This longer program includes a SCUBA experience similar to how astronauts train at Johnson Space Center.

Zero Gravity Flight

IN FLIGHT - (UNDATED PHOTO) 'N Sync singer and prospective space tourist Lance Bass (C) joins Space ... [+]

 GETTY IMAGES

If you have been saving up your Christmas cash gifts and want to spend them on a once-in-a-lifetime experience, there’s no better way than on a zero gravity flight.

Zero-G is the preeminent operator for these kinds of flights, and they offer parabolic flights on their specially equipped Boeing 727 throughout the year and across the country. They currently have 16 flights scheduled through September 2022, and some have already sold out or have limited availability.

“People are looking at Virgin [Galactic], Blue [Origin], and the Inspiration4 mission, then Google zero gravity,” says Zero-G CEO Matt Gohd. “We are the only accessible way to do these kinds of flights for the foreseeable future; if you want anything to do with space-related experiences, we’re it.”

Zero-G flights aren’t for the budget-conscious, coming in at $7,500 per person, but that hasn’t deterred demand. “The more attention there is to these amazing experiences, the more people will will want to fly with us as their first step to these other things,” says Gohd.

Flights to (the Edge of) Space

Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket launches with other passengers from its spaceport near Van Horn, ... [+]

 ASSOCIATED PRESS

Speaking of “these other things,” yes, it is theoretically possible to book a ticket to space in 2022 – or at least the edge of it. While there isn’t a lot of information out there, both Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin – the two leading space tourism companies which both had successful flights in 2021 – are planning more flights for 2022.

“I’m guessing Blue [Origin] is pretty well set for 2022” in terms of customers, says Gohd, who keeps his finger on the pulse of the space tourism industry in its many forms. That plus the fact that Virgin Galactic has 600-700 reservations lined up already means seats may be scarce – but it also seems to be about who you know. If you have the $450,000+ available (this was Virgin Galactic’s last available price; Blue Origin has never published pricing).

Flights to the ISS

IN SPACE - APRIl 10: (EDITORIAL USE ONLY) (NO SALES) This handout image supplied by the European ... [+]

 GETTY

Like booking a ticket with Virgin Galactic or Blue Origin, purchasing a ticket to the International Space Station is something you can do in 2022 – but you probably won’t get to take the trip until at least 2023. Space Adventures, a company with long-standing ties in the industry, has an inquiry form where you can get in touch about flying to the ISS in 2023.

It’s obviously worth pointing out that this is the most expensive option, but if you have the funds it’s certainly an option. It’s estimated that Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa paid about $80 million for his 12-day journey to space in late 2021 if that helps you start budgeting.

Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbes-personal-shopper/2021/12/30/best-washer-and-dryer/?sh=3428ca505234