For as long as NASA has existed, it has been a source of the fascination of millions of people from all over the world. Over the years, many individuals have expressed a desire to be in the shoes of the astronauts for even a day and spend a day at NASA’s iconic International Space Station. It never really materialized as the institutions steadfastly refused to commercialize its establishments in such a way. However, that has now changed, and in a landmark development and according to an announcement made by the agency on Friday, NASA is going to open up its International Space Station to private citizens. People who have had the desire to spend a day at the International Space Station can now do so.
That being said, the cost of actually spending a day at the ISS is steep, and a person would need to stump $35,000 per night to be able to have the privilege of fulfilling his dreams. This is a major push from the agency since over the years it has stubbornly refused to allow any private citizens or commercial interests to have a presence at the ISS. However, it is part of a new initiative from NASA to commercialize its assets in a far more effective way. Private citizens are going to be ferried to the ISS by rocket and capsule launch systems operated by SpaceX and Boeing. It is not going to be a free for all, though, and according to reports, NASA is only going to allow two private citizens the privilege of visiting the ISS per year. The first visit could take place as early as 2020.
Jeff DeWit, the Chief Financial Officer of NASA, said,
If you look at the pricing and you add it up, back of a napkin, it would be roughly $35,000 a night, per astronaut. But it won’t come with any Hilton or Marriott points.
This is a major development in the history of NASA, and it is almost certain that the agency is going to receive thousands of application as soon as they open up the process.