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Man Target
Space Tourism Explained: Suborbital, Orbital or Space Station?
Aerospace & Space

Space Tourism Explained: Suborbital, Orbital or Space Station?

Minutes of weightlessness, days in orbit or two weeks on the ISS. The three ways to go, what each demands and what is actually flying.

MAN TARGET EditorsOctober 28, 2026 4 min read

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Space tourism is no longer theory. Since 2021, dozens of private citizens have crossed the Kármán line, the 100 km mark often used as the edge of space. But space tourism is not one product. It is three, with very different durations, training and price levels. Knowing which one you are talking about is the first step.

1. Suborbital: the edge-of-space hop

A suborbital flight goes up and comes straight back down, with a few minutes of weightlessness and a view of Earth's curve. Blue Origin's New Shepard flew 98 people this way before pausing in January 2026 for at least two years. Virgin Galactic's new Delta-class ships, carrying up to six passengers, are in testing, with customer flights targeted for 2027. Its last published price was US$750,000 per seat, in March 2026.

2. Orbital free-flyer: days around the planet

On an orbital mission you circle Earth at about 28,000 km/h for several days. SpaceX's Crew Dragon has flown fully private crews. In 2025, Fram2, funded and flown by entrepreneur Chun Wang, became the first crewed flight over Earth's polar regions. Missions like this are chartered as a whole capsule, and prices are not published.

3. Private astronaut missions: a stay on the station

Axiom Space organises private missions to the International Space Station under agreements with NASA. Its four flights so far have carried 14 private and government astronauts, most recently Ax-4 in June 2025, with crew from the United States, India, Poland and Hungary. Ax-5 is targeted for no earlier than January 2027, with up to 14 days docked. Many seats are bought by governments sending their first astronauts in decades.

  • Medical clearance from the operator's flight doctors.
  • Training: days for suborbital flights, months for orbital and station missions.
  • Flexibility: launch dates move, often by weeks.
  • Contracts: review the clauses on delays, refunds and insurance with a lawyer.
Ask how long you will be weightless, not just how high you will fly.
Earth's curve and the thin blue line of the atmosphere seen from orbit.
Earth's curve and the thin blue line of the atmosphere seen from orbit.

How to choose

Start with your timeline and your tolerance for delay. Suborbital is the shortest commitment, a few days of preparation for a flight of minutes, but in late 2026 neither of the two main operators is flying customers. Orbital and station missions are a project measured in months of training, and they are sold privately, mission by mission.

  • Want the view and weightlessness with the least time away? Watch the Delta-class test flights.
  • Want days in orbit? Talk directly to providers of private Dragon missions.
  • Want science and a stay on the ISS? Follow Axiom's Ax-5 and its later missions.
  • Whatever you choose, budget for travel, training time and long waiting periods.

Key takeaways

  • Suborbital flights give minutes of weightlessness; orbital missions last days.
  • Private astronaut missions to the ISS run up to two weeks and need months of training.
  • Both main suborbital operators are on hold: New Shepard is paused and Virgin's Delta ships are in testing.
  • Few prices are published; the latest public one is Virgin Galactic's US$750,000 seat.
#space tourism#suborbital flight#axiom space#private astronaut#aerospace

FAQ

What is the difference between suborbital and orbital flight?

Suborbital flights go up and come down, with minutes of weightlessness. Orbital flights reach the speed needed to circle Earth and last days.

Can private citizens visit the ISS?

Yes, through private astronaut missions such as Axiom Space's, flown under NASA agreements and requiring months of training.

How much does a trip to space cost?

Few prices are published. Virgin Galactic's last public price was US$750,000 per suborbital seat (March 2026); orbital missions do not publish prices.

Serious about flying? Ask the Man Target concierge to map operators, timelines and the questions to ask.

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