Space Fact #11: The First Space Ticket Cost $20 Million
/In April, 2001, Space Adventures sent American businessman Dennis Tito to the International Space Station for a reported $20 million payment, making him the first space tourist.
In April, 2001, Space Adventures sent American businessman Dennis Tito to the International Space Station for a reported $20 million payment, making him the first space tourist.
It really wasn’t that long ago when the two greatest superpowers were vying to put satellites into space. Now, 50 nations have their own satellites in low Earth orbit. If you’re a Thailand, say, you can call Space Systems/Loral, a Canadian-owned company based in Palo Alto, California, and tell them you want to put a satellite into geostationary orbit for television broadcasting or military communications. You can have the thing in orbit 25,000 miles above Earth within two years.