Boeing to Launch Space Tourism Business

Boeing would like to fly you to your next vacation destination—in space. The aerospace giant is developing a space capsule that it thinks will be ready to launch tourists by 2015, the company has announced. The capsule will have seven seats, enough to carry a few spectators alongside a crew of astronauts, the Houston Chronicle reports. A company VP says the goal is “to become the Boeing commercial aircraft of human space commerce.”

Boeing’s entry into the space tourism market may bring down prices—but that’s not saying a whole heck of a lot. The last space tourist paid $40 million for his seat. Boeing’s plan also represents an endorsement of President Obama’s efforts to increase funding for commercial spaceflight. Boeing received $18 million this year to develop rockets and space capsules, and will need even more to finish the project. For more on space tourism, click here.
(More space tourism stories.)