Book tickets into space for $200,000, Blue Origin preps for take off
The cost of space travel is collapsing thanks to new technology and new blood in the industry, and soon you too could explore the vastness of our universe.
Key takeaways
- Blue Origin and Elon Musk aren’t the only billionaires selling tickets to space though.
- Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic says it has sold about 650 $250,000 tickets to space aboard its craft that recently under went its own tests, and whose launch dates have yet to be announced.
- Bezos’s space ambitions are larger than space tourism though.
Cite or link to this article
Griffin, M. (2018) 'Book tickets into space for $200,000, Blue Origin preps for take off', 311 Institute, 23 July. Available at: https://www.311institute.com/blue-origin-space-tourism/ (Accessed: 1 October 2026).
If Jeff Bezos has his way, and he probably will, then soon it’s likely you’ll be packing up your Amazon Kindle, saying goodbye to your Amazon Alexa, and selling your house to fund your trip into space as one of the world’s first space tourists. Yes, for the cool sum of just $200,000 to $300,000, according to a Reuters report, you could secure your seat on board of one of Bezos’ Blue Origin’s New Shepard rockets and head skyward into the blackness of space...
Cue the futuristic music.
The rocket would take passengers to suborbital space to experience weightlessness and see the curvature of the Earth, something that frankly I see every time I go to the beach, and once you’re done the rocket will bring you and your six co-passengers safely back to Earth.
This is the claim from two people with knowledge of the space program’s pricing, Reuters says.
Ferrying passengers to space is still a ways off for Blue Origin though, and for a mere $200,000 instead you could also choose to travel to Mars courtesy of Elon Musks’ SpaceX plan to put a million people on the Red Planet starting from 2024.
Blue Origin has now completed eight test flights including landing the rocket vertically, but has yet to strap a human into one of the seats, but that’s apparently coming within weeks, one employee is quoted on saying in the Reuters’ report.
Blue Origin and Elon Musk aren’t the only billionaires selling tickets to space though. Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic says it has sold about 650 $250,000 tickets to space aboard its craft that recently under went its own tests, and whose launch dates have yet to be announced.
Bezos’s space ambitions are larger than space tourism though. In May, speaking at the Space Development Conference in Los Angeles with the inimitable Alan Boyle, Bezos chatted about the idea of making the moon a center for heavy industry, which he thinks will help conserve resources here on Earth. When the time comes, he hopes that lunar residence and industry will be a shared privilege, with countries working together in a “lunar village” and combining their strengths rather than testing them against one another.
As for me though I think it’s time we did away with the old Star Trek tagline of “Space, the final frontier,” and updated it to “Space, the billionaires playground.”
“Alexa, find a pet sitter for the cat and book me a ticket to ride…”
What this means for your organisation
Space tourism is near.
Blue Origin is preparing to fly paying passengers. Test flights and vertical landings have been completed. The first space tourists could fly soon.
Reusability changes economics.
Rockets that land and fly again make regular trips possible. Access will widen over time. Space experiences will move from rare to routine.
Luxury markets lead.
Early seats will go to the very wealthy. Luxury travel firms can partner early. Plan offers for high net worth clients.
Three questions for your next leadership meeting
- Could space experiences fit our luxury or travel offers?
- How quickly will space tourism reach wider markets?
- Which space firms should we watch or partner with?
The trends and technologies behind this story
From the 311 Starburst, the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit’s map of the technologies and trends shaping the next 50 years.
Analysis by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit, from Matthew Griffin’s article and 311 data.
FAQ
Why does this matter?
The cost of space travel is collapsing thanks to new technology and new blood in the industry, and soon you too could explore the vastness of our universe.
About the author
Matthew Griffin Founder, President and Futurist, 311 Institute
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath."
Read full bio
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath." 17-time best selling author of the "Codex of the Future" series, Matthew is the Founder, President and Futurist of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working with royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77 governments, NGOs, and multi-national mid and mega cap firms to help them explore, shape, and lead the next 50 years of business and society.
An award-winning YouTube creator with over a million followers, with an unrivalled global reach and impact, Matthew is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker, lecturer, and mentor who collaborates with global leaders through the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to shape pivotal initiatives such as the UN’s AI for Humanity program, the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP), and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
As the former Global Head of Cloud, National Security, and Enterprise Sales for companies including Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, Matthew has a proven track record of building multi-billion dollar business units and turning failing divisions into market leaders. His ability to identify, analyse, and communicate the implications of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends is unparalleled, and his insights are trusted by many of the world’s most respected organisations, including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi, Coca-Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Dow Jones, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, Siemens AG and Siemens Energy, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, Walmart, Workday, Worldpay and many others.
Regularly featured in the global media including the AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, Forbes, Khaleej Times, Telegraph, TIME, ViacomCBS, WIRED, and the WSJ, Matthews mission is to help organisations create a fair and sustainable future whose benefits are shared by everyone irrespective of their ability, background, or circumstances.
What future do you need to see?
Choose one to get started on space and the future of your organisation.
Sources and further reading
- according to a Reuters report reuters.com
- Virgin Galactic virgingalactic.com
- speaking at the Space Development Conference in Los Angeles techcrunch.com
Source: first published by the 311 Institute on 23 July 2018. Cite as: Griffin, M. (2018). Book tickets into space for $200,000, Blue Origin preps for take off. 311 Institute. https://www.311institute.com/blue-origin-space-tourism/
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