Get your spacesuit ready. Because Russia aims to transport tourists around the moon within the next four to five years.
According to Sputnik News, Russian aerospace company Korolev Rocket and Space Corporation Energia is looking to become the first to offer potential space tourists with an opportunity to orbit around the Earth's Moon by 2021.
The trips would be offered aboard the Soyuz spacecraft and wouldn't land on the moon but instead, orbit it.
"We are speaking of flying around the Moon," the head of RSC Energia Vladimir Solntsev told Sputnik. "I think that RSC Energia will be ready to be the first to offer this service on the international market by 2021-2022."
"The renewal of a program [conducting] space tourist flights on Soyuz spacecraft is possible," added Solntsev. "I think that in the near future we will sign a contact with one of the companies on the provision of tourism services."
According to Sputnik, RSC Energia plans to sign a deal next month allowing it to offer as many as nine seats on the Soyuz spacecraft to space tourists who seek to visit the International Space Station (ISS).
Citing Russian state news agency RIA Novosti, Newsweek reported the flight to the ISS is planned for 2021.
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