In-depth look | Space travel: Where do we go? How do we get there? How much does it cost?

Recently, a China commercial spaceflight company sold two space travel tickets to the public. This trip is on a suborbital rocket, which is expected to make its maiden flight in 2027, with each ticket costing RMB 1.5 million, with a special price of RMB 1 million for the live stream, and a pre-sale deposit of RMB 50,000, which has already been sold out.

In April this year, the China Manned Space Agency also said that China will urgently study and promote the participation of foreign astronauts as well as space tourists in space station flights.

Space travel is mainly divided into suborbital spaceflights and orbital spaceflights, what is the difference between the two kinds of flights? Why is suborbital flight the first step for ordinary people to go to space? Is the technology related to space travel mature and how to ensure safety? Can space travel be "commonplace" in the future, given the high ticket prices that discourage people?

1. What's the difference between orbital and suborbital spaceflight?

The main difference between orbital and suborbital flight is the speed at which a vehicle is traveling. An orbital spacecraft must achieve what is known as orbital velocity, whereas a suborbital rocket flies at a speed below that.

Currently, the US company SpaceX is the only commercial space company in the world that can put ordinary people into orbit and send them to the International Space Station. Ticket prices are also sky-high, with each passenger reportedly paying US$55 million for a 2022 space trip to the ISS. Suborbital spaceflights are technically more difficult and less expensive than orbital-class space travel.

To orbit 125 miles (200 kilometers) above Earth, a spacecraft must travel at a screaming 17,400 mph (28,000 km/h). 

Suborbital flight, in contrast, requires much lower speeds. A suborbital rocket doesn't have the power to achieve orbit. Instead, it will fly up to a certain height that depends on its speed, and then come back down once its engines are shut off. To reach 125 miles above Earth, a suborbital vehicle needs to fly at a relatively sedate 3,700 mph (6,000 km/h), although that's still much faster than a commercial airplane, which flies at around 575 mph (925 km/h).

At the top of their flight arc, passengers in a suborbital vehicle will still achieve a few minutes of weightlessness. They are, in fact, falling back toward Earth, but they are experiencing freefall, similar to an airplane completing parabolic maneuvers to simulate zero gravity.

This time, Deep Blue Aerospace, a domestic commercial spaceflight company, sells tickets for space travel, also for suborbital spaceflights.

In addition, another domestic commercial space enterprise, CAC Space, is also laying out space travel, stating that its Lihong reusable flight vehicle is scheduled to make its first manned flight in 2028. Public reports show that CAC Space's reusable vehicle, which also consists of a booster rocket and a carrying capsule, will take about 10 minutes for the entire flight, with ticket prices ranging from RMB 2 million to 3 million.

"For ordinary people, it is more appropriate to experience weightlessness briefly, and more training is required to enter weightlessness for a long time," according to the manager.

2. What stage of development has commercial space travel reached in China?

In terms of manned spacecraft, Chinese space has accumulated decades of experience from the successful launch and safe return of astronauts into space by the Shenzhou 5 manned spacecraft in 2003, with a gradual spillover to commercial space enterprises, and the technology has matured. For suborbital flights, the main thing to be done is to further enhance comfort and conduct rigorous testing and verification to cover a variety of extreme environments and emergency avoidance situations.

In terms of rockets, the expert explained that, while suborbital missions are possible using ordinary disposable rockets, there is a key factor to consider - cost.

"The problem with disposable rockets is that the cost is too high, the price of a ticket may have to reach tens of millions of dollars a ticket, the ticket price is too high will lead to the market is too small, and lose the ability to commercialize, so it is necessary to develop reusable rockets, in order to reduce the cost, expand the market, and open up the chain of commercialization."

Regarding the research and development progress of space travel projects of domestic commercial space enterprises, the General Manager of the Innovation Center of CAS Space introduced that they are still generally at the stage of development and testing of flight vehicles.

"Because human safety is involved, before the actual space travel, generally unmanned flight tests are conducted, and after a certain number of flights, then attempts are made to carry out tests with simulated people and organisms, which will be a gradual process."

3. Can commercial space travel "reach the ordinary people"?

What are the requirements for ordinary people to travel in space? The requirements given by Deep Blue Aerospace are rather broad - "Passengers need to ensure that their physical condition is suitable for space travel, and it is recommended that they undergo a professional health check in advance" "Passengers are required to be adults over 18 years of age, but their physical condition must be medically evaluated after the decision."

One month before participating in suborbital flights, tourists need to participate in safety training. It is reported that, on the one hand, it is necessary to gradually carry out training to simulate weightlessness and overload environment, so that tourists can physically and psychologically adapt to the space environment and reduce the discomfort of suddenly entering space. On the other hand, training should be provided on the emergency escape process in response to possible dangers. Because of the limited time and altitude of suborbital flights, the training received by tourists is relatively simple, while more complex training is required if they are to carry out orbital flights.

In addition, price is also a major concern.

The general manager of CAS Space also said that the current price of space tickets is expensive mainly because of the high cost of vehicle manufacturing costs, insurance costs, etc. In the future, with the popularization of technology and the increase in the number of times the aircraft can be reused, the cost will be gradually reduced. It is expected that by 2030 or so, with the development of technology and launch costs continuing to reduce, space travel ticket price is expected to be reduced to RMB 100,000, space travel is no longer a distant dream.

4. More than space travel, China's commercial spaceflight is worth hoping for.

The 2024 government work report further emphasizes the need to actively build new growth engines such as bio-manufacturing, commercial spaceflight and low-altitude economy, which is the first time that "commercial spaceflight" has been written into a government work report.

In terms of commercial rockets, statistics from relevant organizations show that in the first half of 2024, China's space program carried out a total of 30 launches, including five commercial spacecraft launches. In September this year, China's LandSpace Technology Corporation independently developed a reusable rocket ZQ-3 test rocket, in Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center to complete the 10-kilometer vertical takeoff and landing return flight test, China's commercial space in the realization of the reusable launch vehicle technology to take an important step forward.

Commercial spaceflight has also driven the satellite industry to usher in an outbreak of growth, and China has now planned three "10,000-star satellites" plans, which will launch a total of more than 37,000 satellites. China's target for this year is to launch 108 satellites, and it is expected that by the end of 2030, a network of more than 15,000 satellites will be completed.

Refer to CCTV News

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