Tour operators working with the Cosmos, while a little .This is explained, first of all, by the high cost of the tour and, accordingly, insignificantly small in comparison with the terrestrial directions of demand .In addition, the really existing tourist product is the only one - an expedition to the International Space Station, and queues ready to give tens of millions of dollars for a ten-day trip are not observed .Suborbital flights on a commercial basis have not yet been implemented, however, they are successfully recorded: today more than 600 people have registered and deposited a program for this or that program..The date of the first commercial suborbital flight in the history of mankind is not yet known: initially it was planned for the end of 2010, then it was transferred to the second half of 2011 .The latest information - 2012, without specifying a month .So, that's who sells Cosmas .

Earth's orbit - International Space Station

Space Adventures (USA) website

Degree of project readiness: implemented, 8 successful starts

The exclusive partner in marketing of Roskosmos corporation, Space Adventures is the only company using the services of which you can already go on a space trip .The experience of organizing commercial flights - since 2001, the number of tourists sent to orbit - 7, including the founder and permanent leader of Cirque du Soleil Guy Laliberte .The company performs its services on the basis of "Roskosmos" .The standard program includes a medical examination of a potential space tourist, training and preparation for a flight in the Star City, the actual implementation of the flight lasting up to 10 days, of which at least 6 tourists will be aboard the ISS .In addition, the package includes the delivery to the ISS of the cargoes required for the spaceman to carry out his scientific program (if any), and post-flight rehabilitation is .Additional service - going to outer space - declared from 2013 .

The maximum number of tourists is 1

The duration of the trip is 7-10 days

The starting point is the Baikonur Cosmodrome

The cost of the tour is from 30 million USD. The cost of going to outer space - from 15 million USD.

By the way, already in 2018 the company promises to send tourists to the moon.

The boundary of the Cosmos is a suborbital flight

Virgin Galactic (US) website is

Accredited agent in Russia and the CIS - "Space Reception - Space Reception" website

Degree of project readiness: operating spaceport in the state of New Mexico, test flights conducted

Virgin Galactic, part of a multibillion-dollar consortium Virgin Group, offers suborbital flights to a height of about 110 km .For this purpose, the SpaceShipTwo spacecraft will be used in conjunction with the WhiteKnightTwo acceleration engine .The plane with a spacecraft docked to it will rise 15 km above the ground, after which two aircraft will disconnect .SpaceShipTwo will launch rocket engines and at a speed that is 3 times higher than the speed of sound, almost vertical take-off will rush into the sky above .The road from Earth to the Karman line will take about an hour .Then the engines of the spacecraft will be turned off, and tourists will be able to enjoy the six-minute weightlessness and fantastic views of the Earth (in fact, falling back at a huge speed back to the planet) .At an altitude of 21 km the spacecraft will enter a controlled corkscrew with an ever increasing radius of loops and as a result will plan for the runway of the cosmodrome .

The maximum number of tourists is 6

Duration of travel - 2, 5 hours

The starting point is the spaceport "America", New Mexico, USA

The cost of the tour is 200 thousand USD. Deposit - from 20 thousand USD.

Space Adventures (USA) website

Degree of project readiness: aircraft tests are conducted

Space Adventures plans to send tourists to suborbital flights on a carrier rocket and an undocked Armadillo module .The principle of flight is identical to the delivery to the ISS by the "Unions": the rocket with the module starts from the cosmodrome and reaches the boundary of the cosmos, after which the module with the tourists on board is undocked from the carrier .Short stay in weightlessness, then - return to Earth in the module, identical to the landing of astronauts - with powerful parachutes and inflatable pillows .The flight will be completely autonomous, controlled from Earth, from the Flight Control Center .

The maximum number of tourists is 2

The duration of the trip is 1 hour

The starting point - presumably, the Baikonur cosmodrome

The cost of the tour - from 110 thousand USD.

XCOR Aerospace (USA) website is

Degree of project readiness: concept; The first tests of the space ship are scheduled for the end of 2012.

The company offers suborbital flights on the Lynx spacecraft of its own design. Unlike the similar project Virgin Galactic, the spacecraft XCOR Lynx will independently overcome all the stages of the path: horizontal take-off and climb, launch rocket engines at an altitude of 58 km, reach a mark of 103 km, followed by 4-6 minutes of weightlessness, return journey and entry into the atmosphere , controlled circular planning and landing.

The maximum number of tourists is 1

The duration of the trip is 30 minutes

Starting point - not determined

The cost of the tour is 95 thousand USD (deposit - 20 thousand USD).

Boeing (US) website is

Degree of project readiness: concept; The first test flights are planned in 2015.

The first Boeing spacecraft, called CST-100 (Crew Space Transportation - to a height of 100 km) and developed in cooperation with NASA, will be used to deliver crews and cargo to the ISS, and will also serve as a vehicle for space tourists. br>.Images of the future space ship were presented to the general public only a year and a half ago, so that before the commencement of recreational flights, a lot of water will drain out .So far, only the following is clear: the CST-100 will be launched into a low orbit by a rocket of one of the existing types, after which it can maneuver itself in the near-Earth space .The project is only part of a large-scale concept for the creation of the Bigelow space station - an orbital hotel, where "star" tourists can comfortably accommodate $$ .Starts are planned to be carried out from the cosmodrome at Cape Canaveral in Florida, USA..

The maximum number of tourists is 7

Duration of the trip - no more than an hour

The starting point is the spaceport "Canaveral", Florida, USA

The cost of the tour - not yet announced

Author - Alexandra Azarova.