'Space tourists': First-ever all private astronaut team splashes down safely after a historic trip to ISS

Coming soon: Luxury cabin in space with panoramic windows & refreshment bars

The year 2021 has been a defining year of space tourism. For the first time, a journey into space was no longer restricted. Our next report gets you the details.

Journey into space is no longer restricted

2021 has been a defining year for space tourism for the first time a journey into space will no longer be restricted for just the trained astronauts but has been made possible for anyone who has deep enough pockets to pay to get a chance to go and experience weightlessness in space, our next report gets you all the details.

Age of space tourism has begun in 2021

Year 2021 has been a defining year for space tourism. For the first time, a journey into space is no longer restricted for just the trained astronauts. WION tells you more in this.

Yearender: 2021 has been a break through year for space tourism

For 15 generations, members of the Abrauw clan have lived much like their ancestors. They farm with wooden plows in patches of the rainforest, gather medicinal plants and set traps to catch snakes and wild boar.

The land they occupy on Biak island is everything to them: their identity, the source of their livelihood and the link to their forebears. But now the tiny clan fears it will lose its place in the world as Indonesia pursues its longstanding quest to join the space age.

The Indonesian government claims to have acquired 250 acres of the clan’s ancestral land decades ago and has planned since 2017 to build a small-scale spaceport there to launch rockets. Clan leaders say the project would force them from their homes.

Also see |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/what-a-blast-the-rush-of-amateur-astronauts-420637" hreflang="en">What a blast: The rush of amateur astronauts</a>

Indonesia’s president, Joko Widodo, personally pitched SpaceX’s founder, Elon Musk, last year on the idea of launching rockets from Indonesia, without mentioning a site. Musk has yet to commit to a deal or comment on it publicly. But the possibility of his involvement has spurred a flurry of activity by Biak officials to promote the location, as well as renewed opposition from the island’s Indigenous people.

Building a spaceport is part of Joko’s push to modernize the Southeast Asian island nation with new airports, power plants and highways, often with little regard for environmental consequences. It is also part of the country’s checkered history of using questionable methods to acquire land from Indigenous people, leaving some groups destitute while benefiting influential Indonesians and international companies.

Leaders of the Biak tribe say building a spaceport on the site would mean cutting trees in a protected forest, disturbing the habitat of endangered birds and evicting the Abrauw.

Also see |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/want-to-become-a-space-tourist-here-is-all-you-need-to-do-399437" hreflang="en">Want to become a space tourist? Here is all you need to do</a>

“The position of the Indigenous people is clear: We reject the plan,” said Apolos Sroyer, chief of the Biak Customary Council, an assembly of clan chiefs. “We don’t want to lose our farms because of this spaceport. We don’t eat satellites. We eat taro, and fish from the sea. That is our way of life for generations. Tell Elon Musk that’s our stance.”

Biak, nearly the size of Maui, sits just north of the island of New Guinea and is part of Indonesia’s Papua province. During World War II, U.S. forces defeated the Japanese there in a key battle as Gen. Douglas MacArthur fought to retake the Pacific. Biak became part of Indonesia in the 1960s after the United Nations handed over the former Dutch territory of West Papua on the condition that Indonesia hold a popular vote.

Instead, in a 1969 vote regarded by many Papuans as rigged, Indonesia rounded up a thousand tribal leaders — including chiefs from Biak — and held them until they voted to join Indonesia in what paradoxically became known as “The Act of Free Choice.”

The dwindling Abrauw clan, one of 360 clans on Biak, now has about 90 members. Most live in the village of Warbon, on the island’s northeastern side, about a mile and a half from the proposed spaceport site.

The center of clan life is a flowering heliotrope tree by the ocean.

Waves lap gently on the white sand nearby, and black, brown and white butterflies flit among its branches. Clan members consider the tree sacred and say it marks the origin of the Abrauw. They often visit the tree to make offerings and pray to their ancestors. On occasion, they gather there and camp for days. If the spaceport was built, the tree would be off limits, as would the beach where the Abrauw often fish, and the forest where they farm.

Also see |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/who-is-winning-space-tourism-race-between-bezos-branson-and-musk-396420" hreflang="en">Who is winning space tourism race between Bezos, Branson and Musk?</a>

“For Papuans, land is identity,” said Marthen Abrauw, the clan chief, as he sat in the shade of the sacred tree on a recent afternoon. “We will lose our identity, and no other clan will accept us on their land. Where will our children and grandchildren go?”

Some clan members have found work in other parts of Indonesia, but those who remain in Warbon largely subsist on the fish they catch and the taro, cassava and sweet potatoes they grow. The clan practices nomadic farming, clearing trees in the forest for crops in a new location every two years.

Some walk or ride motorbikes to the nearby village of Korem to worship at the Pniel Evangelical Christian Church. Warbon, home to more than 1,000 people, includes members of numerous other clans who have married into the Abrauw but retain the clan identity of their male ancestors. The church also opposes the spaceport.

The Indonesian officials who support the project say Biak, just 70 miles south of the equator and facing the Pacific, would be ideal for launching rockets. SpaceX has plans to put tens of thousands of communications satellites into orbit in the coming years.

“This is our wealth,” said Biak’s regent, Herry Ario Naap, who is pushing for the spaceport. “Other regions may have oil or gold. We are given a strategic geographical location.”

In wooing Musk, Joko suggested that his car company, Tesla, could also collaborate with Indonesia to make electric vehicle batteries, as Indonesia is the world’s largest producer of nickel, a key component. A team from SpaceX visited Indonesia early this year to discuss possible cooperation, officials said.

Tesla submitted a battery production proposal to Indonesia in February, but the government declined to disclose details. Musk and his companies did not respond to requests for comment. In September, Joko bolstered the space program by increasing its budget twentyfold and placing it under the new National Research and Innovation Agency, which reports directly to him.

Laksana Tri Handoko, the agency chairman, who personally inspected the Biak site last month, said that the island remained a viable choice but that building the large spaceport he envisioned would require 10 times as much land. Controversy over the Biak site could prompt him to select an alternate location, such as Morotai island, about 550 miles northwest of Biak.

A key factor, he said, will be making sure the government has “clear and clean” title to the land. “Biak is not the one and only place,” he said. “We have many options.”

Government maps show that nearly all the Abrauw clan’s ancestral lands, including some homes, are within a proposed buffer zone that would be cleared of people should the small spaceport be built. The maps also show that the original project site is almost entirely within a protected forest.

The space agency has long said it bought the 250-acre site from the Abrauw clan in 1980. But the clan says it never sold the land. Four men who signed a document giving the agency title were not clan members and had no right to sell, according to clan leaders.

The older generation was too intimidated to object, they said, because the Indonesian army was conducting military operations on Biak and anyone who criticized the government could be jailed as a separatist.

“Silence was the only choice,” said Gerson Abrauw, a Protestant pastor and cousin of the clan chief. He dismissed government assurances that a spaceport would provide employment.

“They say the spaceport project will create jobs, but there is no space expert in our clan and in our villages,” he said. “What they mean is three years of cutting down trees, removing roots and digging foundations. After that, there will be a feast to say goodbye to us and then only those with an access card can enter the area.” 
&nbsp;

For 15 generations, members of the Abrauw clan have lived much like their ancestors. They farm with wooden plows in patches of the rainforest, gather medicinal plants and set traps to catch snakes and wild boar.

For 15 generations, members of the Abrauw clan have lived much like their ancestors. They farm with wooden plows in patches of the rainforest, gather medicinal plants and set traps to catch snakes and wild boar. The land they occupy on Biak island is everything to them: their identity, the source of their livelihood and the link to their forebears. But now the tiny clan fears it will lose its place in the world as Indonesia pursues its longstanding quest to join the space age. The Indonesian government claims to have acquired 250 acres of the clan’s ancestral land decades ago and has planned since 2017 to build a small-scale spaceport there to launch rockets. Clan leaders say the project would force them from their homes. Also see | What a blast: The rush of amateur astronauts Indonesia’s president, Joko Widodo, personally pitched SpaceX’s founder, Elon Musk, last year on the idea of launching rockets from Indonesia, without mentioning a site. Musk has yet to commit to a deal or comment on it publicly. But the possibility of his involvement has spurred a flurry of activity by Biak officials to promote the location, as well as renewed opposition from the island’s Indigenous people. Building a spaceport is part of Joko’s push to modernize the Southeast Asian island nation with new airports, power plants and highways, often with little regard for environmental consequences. It is also part of the country’s checkered history of using questionable methods to acquire land from Indigenous people, leaving some groups destitute while benefiting influential Indonesians and international companies. Leaders of the Biak tribe say building a spaceport on the site would mean cutting trees in a protected forest, disturbing the habitat of endangered birds and evicting the Abrauw. Also see | Want to become a space tourist? Here is all you need to do “The position of the Indigenous people is clear: We reject the plan,” said Apolos Sroyer, chief of the Biak Customary Council, an assembly of clan chiefs. “We don’t want to lose our farms because of this spaceport. We don’t eat satellites. We eat taro, and fish from the sea. That is our way of life for generations. Tell Elon Musk that’s our stance.” Biak, nearly the size of Maui, sits just north of the island of New Guinea and is part of Indonesia’s Papua province. During World War II, U.S. forces defeated the Japanese there in a key battle as Gen. Douglas MacArthur fought to retake the Pacific. Biak became part of Indonesia in the 1960s after the United Nations handed over the former Dutch territory of West Papua on the condition that Indonesia hold a popular vote. Instead, in a 1969 vote regarded by many Papuans as rigged, Indonesia rounded up a thousand tribal leaders — including chiefs from Biak — and held them until they voted to join Indonesia in what paradoxically became known as “The Act of Free Choice.” The dwindling Abrauw clan, one of 360 clans on Biak, now has about 90 members. Most live in the village of Warbon, on the island’s northeastern side, about a mile and a half from the proposed spaceport site. The center of clan life is a flowering heliotrope tree by the ocean. Waves lap gently on the white sand nearby, and black, brown and white butterflies flit among its branches. Clan members consider the tree sacred and say it marks the origin of the Abrauw. They often visit the tree to make offerings and pray to their ancestors. On occasion, they gather there and camp for days. If the spaceport was built, the tree would be off limits, as would the beach where the Abrauw often fish, and the forest where they farm. Also see | Who is winning space tourism race between Bezos, Branson and Musk? “For Papuans, land is identity,” said Marthen Abrauw, the clan chief, as he sat in the shade of the sacred tree on a recent afternoon. “We will lose our identity, and no other clan will accept us on their land. Where will our children and grandchildren go?” Some clan members have found work in other parts of Indonesia, but those who remain in Warbon largely subsist on the fish they catch and the taro, cassava and sweet potatoes they grow. The clan practices nomadic farming, clearing trees in the forest for crops in a new location every two years. Some walk or ride motorbikes to the nearby village of Korem to worship at the Pniel Evangelical Christian Church. Warbon, home to more than 1,000 people, includes members of numerous other clans who have married into the Abrauw but retain the clan identity of their male ancestors. The church also opposes the spaceport. The Indonesian officials who support the project say Biak, just 70 miles south of the equator and facing the Pacific, would be ideal for launching rockets. SpaceX has plans to put tens of thousands of communications satellites into orbit in the coming years. “This is our wealth,” said Biak’s regent, Herry Ario Naap, who is pushing for the spaceport. “Other regions may have oil or gold. We are given a strategic geographical location.” In wooing Musk, Joko suggested that his car company, Tesla, could also collaborate with Indonesia to make electric vehicle batteries, as Indonesia is the world’s largest producer of nickel, a key component. A team from SpaceX visited Indonesia early this year to discuss possible cooperation, officials said. Tesla submitted a battery production proposal to Indonesia in February, but the government declined to disclose details. Musk and his companies did not respond to requests for comment. In September, Joko bolstered the space program by increasing its budget twentyfold and placing it under the new National Research and Innovation Agency, which reports directly to him. Laksana Tri Handoko, the agency chairman, who personally inspected the Biak site last month, said that the island remained a viable choice but that building the large spaceport he envisioned would require 10 times as much land. Controversy over the Biak site could prompt him to select an alternate location, such as Morotai island, about 550 miles northwest of Biak. A key factor, he said, will be making sure the government has “clear and clean” title to the land. “Biak is not the one and only place,” he said. “We have many options.” Government maps show that nearly all the Abrauw clan’s ancestral lands, including some homes, are within a proposed buffer zone that would be cleared of people should the small spaceport be built. The maps also show that the original project site is almost entirely within a protected forest. The space agency has long said it bought the 250-acre site from the Abrauw clan in 1980. But the clan says it never sold the land. Four men who signed a document giving the agency title were not clan members and had no right to sell, according to clan leaders. The older generation was too intimidated to object, they said, because the Indonesian army was conducting military operations on Biak and anyone who criticized the government could be jailed as a separatist. “Silence was the only choice,” said Gerson Abrauw, a Protestant pastor and cousin of the clan chief. He dismissed government assurances that a spaceport would provide employment. “They say the spaceport project will create jobs, but there is no space expert in our clan and in our villages,” he said. “What they mean is three years of cutting down trees, removing roots and digging foundations. After that, there will be a feast to say goodbye to us and then only those with an access card can enter the area.”

Will an island in Indonesia become a new frontier in the space race?

As competition in the space tourism industry heats up, a US-based firm said Friday it was excited to re-enter the sector with the upcoming launch of a Japanese billionaire.

Space Adventures, headed by Tom Shelley, is set in December to send Japanese tycoon Yusaku Maezawa to the International Space Station (ISS) from the Russia-leased Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

It's the company's first launch in over a decade after suspending trips to the ISS as NASA bought up seats on Russia-operated flights and no other vehicles were available.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/top-us-naval-commander-hosts-senior-indian-navy-officers-aboard-uss-carl-vinson-420814">Top US naval commander hosts senior Indian Navy officers aboard USS Carl Vinson</a>

"It's a very exciting time for us," Shelley, 48, the president of Space Adventures, told AFP during an interview in Moscow on Friday.

He added that Space Adventures with Russia was planning &nbsp;future launches "to innovate and find new offerings" for clients.&nbsp;

Shelley said the next Space Adventures flight to the ISS -- scheduled for late 2023 or early 2024 -- will give one of its clients an opportunity to complete a spacewalk.

The return of Shelley's company to the industry with Russia was made possible after the succesful flight of Elon Musk's SpaceX last year that delivered astronauts to the ISS.

The move rendered NASA less dependant on Russian launches, freeing up seats with Moscow's space agency, Roscosmos.

Maezawa, 45, will board a Soyuz rocket operated by Roscosmos together with his assistant Yozo Hirano and cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin.

The December launch &nbsp;comes in the middle of a flurry of non-professional launches.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/us-open-stars-fall-at-indian-wells-which-struggles-to-draw-a-crowd-420743">US Open stars fall at Indian Wells, which struggles to draw a crowd</a>

SpaceX this year sent an all-civilian crew on an orbit of the Earth, a first in the history of amateur space travel.

In Moscow, Shelley said the boom in civilian launches meant the general public was becoming "more aware" of space travel.

"2021 has turned into a very interesting year within the private spaceflight industry," he said.

It's "not just something that has been talked as something for the future, but it is happening now".

Space Adventures has sent seven tourists to the ISS. The last was Canadian Cirque du Soleil co-founder Guy Laliberte in 2009.

As competition in the space tourism industry heats up, a US-based firm said Friday it was excited to re-enter the sector with the upcoming launch of a Japanese billionaire.

As competition in the space tourism industry heats up, a US-based firm said Friday it was excited to re-enter the sector with the upcoming launch of a Japanese billionaire. Space Adventures, headed by Tom Shelley, is set in December to send Japanese tycoon Yusaku Maezawa to the International Space Station (ISS) from the Russia-leased Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. It's the company's first launch in over a decade after suspending trips to the ISS as NASA bought up seats on Russia-operated flights and no other vehicles were available. Also Read | Top US naval commander hosts senior Indian Navy officers aboard USS Carl Vinson "It's a very exciting time for us," Shelley, 48, the president of Space Adventures, told AFP during an interview in Moscow on Friday. He added that Space Adventures with Russia was planning future launches "to innovate and find new offerings" for clients. Shelley said the next Space Adventures flight to the ISS -- scheduled for late 2023 or early 2024 -- will give one of its clients an opportunity to complete a spacewalk. The return of Shelley's company to the industry with Russia was made possible after the succesful flight of Elon Musk's SpaceX last year that delivered astronauts to the ISS. The move rendered NASA less dependant on Russian launches, freeing up seats with Moscow's space agency, Roscosmos. Maezawa, 45, will board a Soyuz rocket operated by Roscosmos together with his assistant Yozo Hirano and cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin. The December launch comes in the middle of a flurry of non-professional launches. Also Read | US Open stars fall at Indian Wells, which struggles to draw a crowd SpaceX this year sent an all-civilian crew on an orbit of the Earth, a first in the history of amateur space travel. In Moscow, Shelley said the boom in civilian launches meant the general public was becoming "more aware" of space travel. "2021 has turned into a very interesting year within the private spaceflight industry," he said. It's "not just something that has been talked as something for the future, but it is happening now". Space Adventures has sent seven tourists to the ISS. The last was Canadian Cirque du Soleil co-founder Guy Laliberte in 2009.

US firm sees 'exciting' moment as space tourism booms

British&nbsp;billionaire&nbsp;Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic is restarting ticket sales beginning at $450,000 for space tourism.

The company,&nbsp;to cash in on the success of last month's fully-crewed test flight, has&nbsp;nearly&nbsp;doubled the amount paid by people previously.

Between&nbsp;2005 and 2014,&nbsp;around 600 people had paid&nbsp;$200,000 to $250,000 for booking&nbsp;seats on Virgin's spaceship.

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"We are excited to announce the reopening of sales effective today," said CEO Michael Colglazier in a statement, with first dibs going to people on a waiting list.

"As we endeavor to bring the wonder of space to a broad global population, we are delighted to open the door to an entirely new industry and consumer experience."

Also see|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/want-to-become-a-space-tourist-here-is-all-you-need-to-do-399437" hreflang="en">Want to become a space tourist? Here is all you need to do</a>

Former chief executive officer of Virgin Galactic Holdings, George Whitesides, will fly to space on the aerospace company's next test spaceflight.

Richard&nbsp;Branson, the billionaire founder of Virgin Galactic, flew to space earlier this month, beating Amazon.com Inc's Jeff Bezos to the final frontier.&nbsp;

Branson&nbsp;announced the news about Whitesides during a party in New Mexico on July 11, following his own spaceflight.

Lori Garver, a former deputy administrator of NASA was present at the party and told CNBC that&nbsp;Branson&nbsp;said, "George will be leading our next flight."&nbsp;

The next test flight will come in September and involve members of the Italian Air Force.

Branson, whose spaceflight marked a symbolic milestone for the venture he started 17 years ago, touted the mission as a precursor to a new era of space tourism.

Bezos, along with three others including the world's oldest space traveler and astronaut, Wally Funk, flew into space just days later, aboard his own space company Blue Origin's rocket.

There will be one further test after the September mission, then the first commercial flights will take place in the third quarter of 2022, Colglazier said in an earnings call.

The offerings for customers will include a single seat; multi-seats for couples, friends, or family; and a full-flight buyout.

Two free seats on an early flight are up for grabs in a prize draw, with registrations open until September 1.

The spaceplane was originally designed to carry six crew, but last month's flight, which was described as "fully-crewed," had just four&nbsp;suggesting this is the current number.

Virgin's space experience involves an air-launched spaceplane, VSS Unity, that takes off attached to the belly of a massive carrier plane from a runway at Spaceport America in New Mexico.

After gaining altitude, the spaceplane detaches from its mothership and ignites its rocket engine, ascending to beyond 50 miles (80 kilometers) above sea level.&nbsp;

Passengers unbuckle and experience a few minutes of weightlessness before the plane glides back to the runway to land.

The company has come under fire for its carbon footprint, which is roughly equivalent to a transatlantic flight but for far fewer people. It has said it is examining the possibility of offsetting its emissions.

"Our long-term objective is to offer a near-daily cadence of space flights, and not just from New Mexico, but from multiple locations around the world," CFO Doug Ahrens said during the call.

(With inputs from agencies)

British billionaire Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic is restarting ticket sales beginning at $450,000 for space tourism. The company, to cash in on the success of last month's fully-crewed test flight, has nearly doubled the amount paid by people previously.

British billionaire Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic is restarting ticket sales beginning at $450,000 for space tourism. The company, to cash in on the success of last month's fully-crewed test flight, has nearly doubled the amount paid by people previously. Between 2005 and 2014, around 600 people had paid $200,000 to $250,000 for booking seats on Virgin's spaceship. "We are excited to announce the reopening of sales effective today," said CEO Michael Colglazier in a statement, with first dibs going to people on a waiting list. "As we endeavor to bring the wonder of space to a broad global population, we are delighted to open the door to an entirely new industry and consumer experience." Also see| Want to become a space tourist? Here is all you need to do Former chief executive officer of Virgin Galactic Holdings, George Whitesides, will fly to space on the aerospace company's next test spaceflight. Richard Branson, the billionaire founder of Virgin Galactic, flew to space earlier this month, beating Amazon.com Inc's Jeff Bezos to the final frontier. Branson announced the news about Whitesides during a party in New Mexico on July 11, following his own spaceflight. Lori Garver, a former deputy administrator of NASA was present at the party and told CNBC that Branson said, "George will be leading our next flight." The next test flight will come in September and involve members of the Italian Air Force. Branson, whose spaceflight marked a symbolic milestone for the venture he started 17 years ago, touted the mission as a precursor to a new era of space tourism. Bezos, along with three others including the world's oldest space traveler and astronaut, Wally Funk, flew into space just days later, aboard his own space company Blue Origin's rocket. There will be one further test after the September mission, then the first commercial flights will take place in the third quarter of 2022, Colglazier said in an earnings call. The offerings for customers will include a single seat; multi-seats for couples, friends, or family; and a full-flight buyout. Two free seats on an early flight are up for grabs in a prize draw, with registrations open until September 1. The spaceplane was originally designed to carry six crew, but last month's flight, which was described as "fully-crewed," had just four suggesting this is the current number. Virgin's space experience involves an air-launched spaceplane, VSS Unity, that takes off attached to the belly of a massive carrier plane from a runway at Spaceport America in New Mexico. After gaining altitude, the spaceplane detaches from its mothership and ignites its rocket engine, ascending to beyond 50 miles (80 kilometers) above sea level. Passengers unbuckle and experience a few minutes of weightlessness before the plane glides back to the runway to land. The company has come under fire for its carbon footprint, which is roughly equivalent to a transatlantic flight but for far fewer people. It has said it is examining the possibility of offsetting its emissions. "Our long-term objective is to offer a near-daily cadence of space flights, and not just from New Mexico, but from multiple locations around the world," CFO Doug Ahrens said during the call. (With inputs from agencies)

Space tourism: Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic is restarting ticket sales beginning at $450,000

Want to become a space tourist? Here is all you need to do

With Richard Branson's successful flight to space, the world has entered a new era of Space Tourism. Starting 2022, anyone can take a joyride to space. From 2023, you may also be able to travel around the moon.

Gravitas: A new era of Space tourism

Two billionaires are now officially in a race to make history. Jeff Bezos is taking an 82-year-old astronaut on his first trip to space.

The Billionaire space race: 82-year-old woman pilot to travel to space

After getting approval from the US aviation safety regulator on Friday, billionaire Richard Branson's spaceship company Virgin Galactic can now fly people to space.

The approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) comes at a critical time for Branson as his space venture faces off against Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin and Tesla Inc boss Elon Musk's SpaceX.

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Branson, Bezos and Musk have been investing billions of dollars on their rocket startups.

Branson, who is reportedly flying to space himself in a bid to beat rival billionaire Bezos to the final frontier, received the green light just a month after a successful test flight.

Virgin Galactic last month completed its first manned space flight from its new home port in New Mexico in May, as its SpaceShipTwo craft with a capacity of six passengers glided to a landing on a runway safely with its two pilots.

"Today's approval by the FAA ... gives us confidence as we proceed toward our first fully crewed test flight this summer," Virgin Galactic Chief Executive Officer Michael Colglazier said in a statement.

(With inputs from agencies)

After getting approval from the US aviation safety regulator on Friday, billionaire Richard Branson's spaceship company Virgin Galactic can now fly people to space.

After getting approval from the US aviation safety regulator on Friday, billionaire Richard Branson's spaceship company Virgin Galactic can now fly people to space. The approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) comes at a critical time for Branson as his space venture faces off against Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin and Tesla Inc boss Elon Musk's SpaceX. Branson, Bezos and Musk have been investing billions of dollars on their rocket startups. Branson, who is reportedly flying to space himself in a bid to beat rival billionaire Bezos to the final frontier, received the green light just a month after a successful test flight. Virgin Galactic last month completed its first manned space flight from its new home port in New Mexico in May, as its SpaceShipTwo craft with a capacity of six passengers glided to a landing on a runway safely with its two pilots. "Today's approval by the FAA ... gives us confidence as we proceed toward our first fully crewed test flight this summer," Virgin Galactic Chief Executive Officer Michael Colglazier said in a statement. (With inputs from agencies)

Billionaire Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic gets approval to fly people to space

Billionaire Jeff Bezos-owned space company Blue Origin has just launched a rocket called 'Mannequin Skywalker' that could make way for space tourism flights this year.

Blue Origin completed the fourteenth test flight of its New Shepard rocket booster and capsule on Thursday, marking one of the last remaining steps before the company flies its first crew to space.

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Congrats to the Blue Origin team on another successful launch. One step closer. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NewShepard?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NewShepard</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LaunchLandRepeat?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LaunchLandRepeat</a>
— Blue Origin (@blueorigin) <a href="https://twitter.com/blueorigin/status/1349771121646841856?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Sara Blask, a spokesperson for Blue Origin said: "The capsule will be outfitted with upgrades to the crew capsule for the astronaut experience as the program nears human space flight."

"The upgrades include improvements to environmental features such as acoustics and temperature regulation inside the capsule, crew display panels, and speakers with a microphone and push-to-talk button at each seat."

Bezos&nbsp;aims to carry the first passengers on its New Shepard space vehicle as early as April. The company offered no details on Wednesday about how it would move from the design phase to moon missions in this time frame.

Blue Origin, founded in 2000 by Bezos, Amazon.com Inc’s chief executive, has launched and landed its suborbital rocket New Shepard more than a dozen times, and aims to complete development of its much bigger workhorse orbital rocket, New Glenn, by next year.

Bezos aims to provide government and private customers low-cost access to space, though he trails rival billionaire Elon Musk’s SpaceX.

Blue has vied for lucrative government contracts in recent years and is competing with SpaceX and Leidos-owned Dynetics to win a contract to build NASA’s next human lunar landing system to ferry humans to the moon in the next decade.

In April, NASA awarded a lunar lander development contract to Blue Origin’s team worth $579 million, as well as two other companies: SpaceX which received $135 million to help develop its Starship system and Leidos-owned Dynetics which won $253 million.

Billionaire Jeff Bezos-owned space company Blue Origin has just launched a rocket called 'Mannequin Skywalker' that could make way for space tourism flights this year.

Billionaire Jeff Bezos-owned space company Blue Origin has just launched a rocket called 'Mannequin Skywalker' that could make way for space tourism flights this year. Blue Origin completed the fourteenth test flight of its New Shepard rocket booster and capsule on Thursday, marking one of the last remaining steps before the company flies its first crew to space. Congrats to the Blue Origin team on another successful launch. One step closer. #NewShepard #LaunchLandRepeat — Blue Origin (@blueorigin) January 14, 2021 × Sara Blask, a spokesperson for Blue Origin said: "The capsule will be outfitted with upgrades to the crew capsule for the astronaut experience as the program nears human space flight." "The upgrades include improvements to environmental features such as acoustics and temperature regulation inside the capsule, crew display panels, and speakers with a microphone and push-to-talk button at each seat." Bezos aims to carry the first passengers on its New Shepard space vehicle as early as April. The company offered no details on Wednesday about how it would move from the design phase to moon missions in this time frame. Blue Origin, founded in 2000 by Bezos, Amazon.com Inc’s chief executive, has launched and landed its suborbital rocket New Shepard more than a dozen times, and aims to complete development of its much bigger workhorse orbital rocket, New Glenn, by next year. Bezos aims to provide government and private customers low-cost access to space, though he trails rival billionaire Elon Musk’s SpaceX. Blue has vied for lucrative government contracts in recent years and is competing with SpaceX and Leidos-owned Dynetics to win a contract to build NASA’s next human lunar landing system to ferry humans to the moon in the next decade. In April, NASA awarded a lunar lander development contract to Blue Origin’s team worth $579 million, as well as two other companies: SpaceX which received $135 million to help develop its Starship system and Leidos-owned Dynetics which won $253 million.

Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin launches a rocket that could fly first space passengers by April

SpaceX announced its intention to send four people deeper into orbit than any private citizen before them, in a mission that could cost more than $100 million and take place by 2022.

SpaceX announced its intention to send four people deeper into orbit than any private citizen before them, in a mission that could cost more than $100 million and take place by 2022. A new partnership with Space Adventures precedes this announcement and the new business partner of SpaceX is based in Washington, serving as an intermediary to send eight space tourists to the International Space Station (ISS) via Russian Soyuz rockets. The first person to have paid for this service was Dennis Tito who spent eight hours on the ISS in 2001 for $20 million. 2009 was the year Guy Laliberte, the founder of Cirque du Soleil Space Adventures' last customer, decided to book a trip to the ISS. See: After a successful rocket abort system test, SpaceX to carry humans into orbit this year Future customers will be transported to their destination on SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule, which was developed to transport NASA astronauts and is due to make its first crewed flight in the coming months. President of Space Adventures, Tom Shelley stated that at its earliest, the mission could take place by late 2021, though "probably more likely is sometime in 2022." The duration of the mission will depend on the demands of the customers, stated Shelley. The capsule designed to take astronauts from the surface to the ISS is nine square meters in volume with no private areas to sleep, shower or use the bathroom. Weeks of training [ SpaceX chief Elon Musk speaks during a press conference (Courtesy: AFP) ] The cost of launching a Falcon 9 rocket is $62 million, according to publicly available figures, then there will be the cost of building a fresh Dragon capsule. Could it exceed $100 million? The funding required to launch a Falcon 9 rocket is $62 million as per publicly available data. Adding to that is the cost of building a fresh Dragon capsule, which has made many suspect the cost for the trip would exceed $100 million. Shelley had this to say when asked about the cost, "It's not cheap. Your assessment is correct, I can't comment specifically on the numbers, but yeah those are the cost components." "We have a pretty good network of high net worth individuals around the world, many of whom we know are interested in spaceflight," he added. See: SpaceX shows off upcoming missions The company announced in 2005 plans to send tourists around the Moon - but that mission has now been abandoned, confirmed Shelley. Other companies involved in space tourism are Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin and Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic. The offer from SpaceX is far more ambitious and utilises the same reusable Falcon 9 rocket that puts satellites into space and sends astronauts to the ISS. Much like SpaceX and other companies, Boeing also has plans to send passengers into space, but the development of their program has been marred by major glitches that resulted in the early termination of an uncrewed test flight in December.

SpaceX announces partnership to send four people into deep orbit

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