The final frontier could become the next vacation hot spot.
Travelers with bucket lists full of trips to exotic and remote locations have another place to add to their dream getaways – the International Space Station.
Houston-based startup Axiom on Thursday announced it signed a deal with Elon Musk’s rocket company, SpaceX, to send three space tourists into orbit, the New York Times reported.
The trip, which could come as soon as next year, would mark the first ever fully private human spaceflight.
Passengers will spend a day traveling to their outer space destination in SpaceX’s Crew Dragon – a fully autonomous spacecraft shaped like a gumdrop, according to CNN. They’ll be allowed to stay for at least eight days before the shuttle makes its day-long journey back to earth.
“This will be just the first of many missions to the ISS completely crewed and managed by Axiom Space – a first for a commercial entity. Procuring the transportation marks significant progress,” said Axiom CEO Michael Suffrendini, who previously served as manager of NASA’s International Space Station Program.
The company declined to discuss pricing, but NASA in June set a price list for potential commercial activity. It included a charge for groups like Axiom of $35,000 per person for each night they stay at the ISS.
According to the New York Times, the total price tag is likely going to be around $55 million – most of which will go toward the rocket cost.
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