ISRO will take you to space for Rs. 6 crore
What's the story
ISRO is developing a space tourism module, which is expected to be functional by 2030. The price of a single ticket in the "safe and reusable" module
is estimated to be Rs. 6 crores.
Per Hindustan Times, the work related to India's space tourism is 'gaining momentum.' Officials from the space agency also said that the tickets will be available at "competitive prices."
Details
It's unclear if ISRO's module will be sub-orbital or orbital
Currently, it is unclear if ISRO's module will include sub-orbital or orbital space travel. The difference between both is the speed at which the space vehicle is traveling.
An orbital spacecraft must achieve what's called orbital velocity i.e. the speed that an object must maintain to orbit around a planet.
In comparison, suborbital spacecraft require much lesser speed.
Details
ISRO could collaborate with private firms for the module's development
Sub-orbital trips involve a 15-minute trip to the edge of space under a low-gravity environment, before returning to Earth. Given the price tag, it is most likely that ISRO's module will feature sub-orbital space travel.
ISRO is expected to collaborate with private firms for the development of the space travel module via the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe).
Information
The world's first space tourist was Dennis Tito from America
Space tourism has been around for a while. The world's first space tourist was Dennis Tito, an American businessman. He flew aboard Russia's Soyuz spacecraft and spend a week on the International Space Station (ISS) in 2001. The trip cost him $20 million.