Space tourism marks 25 years since first paid flight

Space tourism turns 25.

On April 28, 2001, Dennis Tito flew aboard the Russian Soyuz after paying a $20 million ticket at the age of 60.

Since then, space tourists have increased year by year and currently number at least 143, for a total of 39 flights, most of them organized by five companies, CE Report quotes ANSA.

“It’s an important change,” Paolo Nespoli told ANSA, drawing on his experience from three missions with the European Space Agency.

“It’s true that we professional astronauts have very technical training, and while that allows you to do very complex things, it’s right that other people go to space to experience different aspects, unlike what professional astronauts would do. Certainly,” he added, “the way of experiencing space will have to change, and alongside astronauts and technicians, writers, journalists, poets, or politicians should also take part in missions.”

Strongly criticized by NASA and its astronauts, Tito’s mission had to overcome several obstacles, and it took 20 years before flights dedicated to space tourists became established.

From 2001 to 2019, only seven people flew, all with multimillion-dollar tickets. Only from 2021 did tourist flights—mostly suborbital—become almost routine. There were six in 2021, four the following year, then six again, reaching eight in 2025.

Many milestones have also been achieved over the years: from the first female space tourist, Anousheh Ansari, who flew in 2006, to the first fully private mission in October 2021.