BEIJING: Chinese commercial space company CAS Space has announced plans to launch its “space tourism vehicle” in 2027, with trips to the edge of space starting in 2028, according to state media reports on Friday. This announcement follows closely on the heels of Blue Origin’s declaration that its New Shepard Rocket, which takes cargo and humans on brief journeys to space’s edge, would resume flights on Sunday after nearly two years.
CAS Space revealed that its vehicle will feature a tourist cabin with four panoramic windows, capable of carrying seven passengers per flight. The company aims to conduct launches every 100 hours from a newly built aerospace theme park, using ten vehicles to take tourists to space in shifts. Ticket prices are expected to range between 2 million and 3 million yuan ($415,127) per person.
Founded in 2018 and based in Guangzhou, CAS Space’s second-largest shareholder is the Chinese Academy of Sciences, China’s premier state research institute.
China’s space program has made significant strides recently, narrowing the gap with the United States. Following the launch of the Chang’e-6 mission earlier this month, China could become the first country to return samples from the far side of the moon. This mission attracted thousands of tourists to the launch site on China’s island province of Hainan, with long traffic jams forming as spectators gathered to witness the event.
