NASA has multiplied the cost of space tourism services and banned tourists from entering outer space

In March, as we reported, NASA increased the rates for the delivery of private cargo to the ISS and back to Earth by more than six times. And the other day, the agency has repeatedly raised prices for space tourism services, including flights to Crew Dragon. The agency says prices are now in line with service costs, although significant cuts in federal budgets are likely behind it all.

The updated price list for services was published on April 29. Prices have risen so strongly that NASA has left a bargaining opportunity for “special missions,” although there is no explanation for this.

According to the June 2019 price list, for one bystander per day on the ISS, NASA charged $ 11,250 for life support and a toilet, plus $ 22,500 for other supplies, including food and air. The new prices immediately include payment for the ISS crew for serving tourists ($ 5.2 million) and payment for mission planning ($ 4.8 million). In other words, to organize the flight of a tourist or a group of tourists, it will be necessary to pay $ 10 million.

Delivery of cargo to the ISS to provide space tourists with everything they need will cost from $ 88,000 to $ 164,000 based on one person per day. The same calculation will include the disposal of the waste left by tourists. At the same time, supplies for the ISS crew, which will serve tourists, will cost from $ 40 to $ 1,500 per person per day. For food in orbit, tourists will be charged $ 2,000 per day from each.

According to previous prices, life support and crew supplies for a hypothetical one-week mission with the participation of four people to the ISS would cost $ 945,000 without taking into account several small parameters (electricity use, Internet access, communications, and so on). Under the new policy, the cost of cargo, food, and supplies for the same mission will be more than $ 2.5 million at the minimum tariff, plus $ 10 million in fees for each mission, which we talked about above. In fact, prices have increased by order of magnitude.

It should be said that the previously signed contract with Axiom Space for the delivery of four tourists to the ISS at the end of this year will remain unchanged. Additionally, NASA decided that the exit of tourists into outer space is a bad idea and while this item will be deleted from the entertainment program in orbit.