by Donald Wood
Last updated: 3:30 PM ET, Tue June 11, 2019
For travelers who want to get off the grid with their next vacation, the International Space Station (ISS) will open its doors to guests starting in 2020 for $35,000 a night.
According to BBC.com, the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) will send two short private astronaut missions to the ISS each year, with travelers permitted to stay aboard for up to 30 days.
"NASA is opening the International Space Station to commercial opportunities and marketing these opportunities as we've never done before," NASA chief financial officer Jeff DeWit told the BBC.
NASA officials contracted two private companies to transport travelers, Elon Musk's SpaceX and Boeing, as well as determine crew composition and ensure the proper medical and training requirements are met for all private astronauts.
SpaceX and Boeing will likely charge "similar taxi fare to what they intend to charge NASA for its astronauts, close to $60 million per flight," according to BBC. The opening of the ISS to continued privatization comes after U.S. President Donald Trump announced plans to defund the space station.
NASA also announced its plans to return to the moon by 2024.
For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.
Topics From This Article to Explore
