Space Tourism: Virgin Galactic vs Blue Origin
Space tourism is no longer a far-fetched idea that exists only in the realm of science fiction. Two of the biggest players in this exciting new industry are Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin. As both companies work hard to send well-heeled adventurists into space, they are vying for the top spot in the race to dominate the space tourism market.
Virgin Galactic
Headed by billionaire Richard Branson, Virgin Galactic has been on the forefront of modern space tourism. The company has been operational since 2004 and has successfully completed several crewed test flights. The spaceflight experience on offer is suborbital and offers a few minutes of weightlessness to passengers.
The Spaceship
Virgin Galactic utilizes a spaceplane named VSS Unity that was developed by The Spaceship Company, a subsidiary of Virgin Galactic. VSS Unity is carried up to an altitude of around 50,000 feet by a mothership named WhiteKnightTwo. Unity then detaches and fires its rocket engines to ascend to suborbital heights.
Financials
Virgin Galactic has a stock market capitalization of around $5.5 billion and has around 600 reservations for suborbital flights at a price tag of $250,000 each. The company has also secured deals with the Italian Air Force and the United States Department of Defense.
Blue Origin
Started in 2000 and owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Blue Origin has been making significant strides in the field of space technology. Although the company successfully sent its first crewed spaceflight on July 20, 2021, it has yet to start its space tourism program. The spaceflight experience on offer is suborbital, much like Virgin Galactic.
The Spaceship
Blue Origin's spaceship is a crew capsule named 'New Shepard', which is designed to hold up to six customers. The capsule is launched atop a reusable rocket and provides a few minutes of weightlessness and incredible views of the earth from suborbital heights.
Financials
Blue Origin has a market valuation of over $9 billion, and the company does not disclose information on customer reservations or prices. However, it is known that the company has secured a deal with NASA to develop a lunar lander, and that it is planning to send paying customers to space in the near future.
Conclusion
Both Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin are pushing the limits of space technology and offering suborbital spaceflight experiences to those with deep pockets. While Virgin Galactic has completed several crewed test flights and has a decent reservation list to show for it, Blue Origin, despite having a larger valuation, is yet to launch its first paying customer into space.
Regardless, the future of space tourism looks bright, and with the likes of Elon Musk's SpaceX also exploring the market, the competition is only set to intensify.