Space
orbit tourism specifically to the International Space Station (ISS). Private individuals can pay for a
trip to the ISS via companies like SpaceX or Roscosmos, staying for up to a few weeks as “spaceflight participants.” They live and
work alongside professional astronauts, conduct educational outreach, and experience life in the only permanent human habitat off Earth. ISS tourism is extremely expensive (tens of millions of dollars) and requires months of training. It’
s the closest most
people will ever get to being an astronaut, though critics argue the ISS should be reserved for scientific research.
Example: “His ISS tourism trip cost more than most
people’s lifetime earnings, but he got to float in the Cupola, take photos of Earth, and
eat rehydrated ice
cream.”