X

SpaceX tourist trips to space station reportedly to cost $55M each

Axiom Space signed a contract with Elon Musk's rocket company, and could bring tourists to space in 2021.

Sean Keane Former Senior Writer
Sean knows far too much about Marvel, DC and Star Wars, and poured this knowledge into recaps and explainers on CNET. He also worked on breaking news, with a passion for tech, video game and culture.
Expertise Culture, Video Games, Breaking News
Sean Keane
gettyimages-79840097

Getting up to the International Space Station could cost you $55 million.

ESA/NASA via Getty Images

A trio of space tourists will blast off to the International Space Station (ISS) in a SpaceX capsule, after Space made a deal with Elon Musk's company on Thursday. The first 10-day trip could happen in the latter half of next year, the company said in a release.

However, it won't be cheap -- a seat could set you back around $55 million, the New York Times reported, and one person has already signed up. Two days will be spent traveling to and from the space station, and eight on board. The tourists will be accompanied by an Axiom astronaut who'll make sure they don't distract the ISS crewmembers.

"This will be just the first of many missions to ISS to be completely crewed and managed by Axiom Space -- a first for a commercial entity,"  Axiom boss Michael T. Suffredini said in a statement. "Procuring the transportation marks significant progress toward that goal, and we're glad to be working with SpaceX in this effort."

The company didn't immediately respond to a request for comment on the cost of a trip.

Axiom is the second space tourism company SpaceX has signed a contract with in recent weeks -- Space Adventures said it'll launch private citizens to orbit in a Crew Dragon capsule too. That orbital flight will last up to five days, but won't dock with the ISS.

Space cheese and other weird items we've sent into orbit

See all photos