How Space Tourism Works: Suborbital vs Orbital Trips

For most of history, the only way to space was to be selected as a government astronaut. That’s no longer true. Private citizens have paid to fly on suborbital rockets, spaceplanes and SpaceX capsules, and some have spent days aboard the International Space Station. But “space tourism” covers trips that differ hugely in altitude, duration, training and risk.

This guide explains how suborbital and orbital trips work, what passengers train for, how US safety rules actually treat paying passengers and what the market looks like in late 2026.

Suborbital vs orbital at a glance

Key takeaway: Suborbital flights sell a short, intense experience: the view and a few minutes of floating. Orbital flights are full space missions, with training, risk and price to match.

Where space begins and why speed matters

There’s no physical line where air stops, so space has agreed-upon boundaries. The most common is the Kármán line at 100 kilometers (about 62 miles). The US military and FAA have historically used 50 miles for astronaut recognition.

The real difference between suborbital and orbital isn’t height. It’s speed. Reaching 100 kilometers takes a rocket going straight up. Staying in orbit means moving sideways at roughly 17,500 miles per hour, fast enough that you keep falling around the Earth instead of back to it. That takes far more energy, which is why orbital rockets are much bigger, trips cost far more and reentry needs a heat shield.

How a suborbital trip works

There have been 2 main approaches in the US.

Vertical rocket and capsule. Blue Origin’s New Shepard launched a crew capsule on a reusable booster from West Texas. The capsule separated, coasted above 100 kilometers, then fell back under parachutes. A flight took around 10 minutes. On January 30, 2026, Blue Origin announced it was pausing New Shepard flights for at least 2 years to focus on its lunar lander work for NASA.

Air-launched spaceplane. Virgin Galactic’s system uses a carrier aircraft that lifts a winged spaceship to high altitude, drops it, and the spaceship fires its rocket to climb into space before gliding back to a runway in New Mexico. Virgin Galactic is building a new Delta-class fleet. In its second-quarter 2026 results, the company said it now expects the first ship to enter commercial service in February 2027, with flight testing starting in October 2026. It also said a recent tranche of seats sold at a $750,000 price point.

What passengers experience: a powerful push into the seat on ascent, a few minutes of weightlessness with views of Earth’s curve and the black sky, then strong g-forces on the way down.

How an orbital trip works

Orbital tourism in the US today means riding a crew capsule such as SpaceX’s Crew Dragon on a Falcon 9 rocket. There are 2 kinds of missions:

• Free-flying missions, where a private crew orbits Earth for several days without docking. SpaceX’s Inspiration4 in 2021 was the first all-civilian orbital mission, and Polaris Dawn in 2024 included the first commercial spacewalk.
• Private astronaut missions to the ISS, organized by companies such as Axiom Space under NASA agreements. NASA ordered a fifth Axiom mission in January 2026, targeted for no earlier than January 2027, with up to 14 days docked to the station.

Many orbital “tourists” are actually flying for research, national space programs or companies, so these missions are often called private astronaut missions rather than tourism. Several companies are also developing commercial space stations meant to host private crews as the ISS approaches retirement. Our guide to the commercial space economy covers that wider market.

Training: what passengers actually do

Suborbital training

Training is short and practical, usually spread over a few days before flight. It typically covers:

• Vehicle familiarization and seat and harness use
• Emergency procedures and how to exit the vehicle
• Communication with the crew or mission control
• What g-forces and weightlessness feel like, and how to move safely in the cabin

Federal rules set a floor. Under 14 CFR 460.51, the operator must train each space flight participant to respond to emergency situations, including smoke, fire, loss of cabin pressure and emergency exit.

Orbital training

Orbital passengers train for many months. Expect:

• Detailed systems training on the capsule and, for ISS visits, the station
• Emergency drills for fire, depressurization and contamination
• Centrifuge runs and, often, parabolic flights to experience weightlessness briefly
• Medical evaluations and preparation for space sickness
• Training on experiments or work planned for the mission
• Station rules and procedures set by NASA and partner agencies for ISS visitors

Passenger safety rules: what the FAA does and doesn’t do

This is the part many people find surprising. The FAA’s Office of Commercial Space Transportation licenses commercial launches and reentries, but its main focus is protecting the uninvolved public on the ground and in the air.

For people on board, US law takes an informed-consent approach:

• Written risk disclosure. Under 14 CFR 460.45, operators must tell each participant in writing about the risks, including that spaceflight may cause death or serious injury, and share the safety record of human spaceflight and of their own vehicle.
• No government safety certification. Operators must tell passengers that the US government has not certified the vehicle as safe for carrying crew or space flight participants.
• Written consent. Each participant must sign and date a consent stating they understand the risks and are flying voluntarily.
• Crew rules. Crew members face qualification, training and medical requirements under the same part of the regulations.

The FAA is also limited in writing new occupant safety regulations during a “learning period” Congress created in 2004 and has extended several times. According to the Congressional Research Service, the current learning period runs until January 1, 2028. This is not legal advice.

Medical requirements

There’s no single federal medical standard for paying passengers. Operators set their own screening, often involving a medical questionnaire, a physician review and sometimes centrifuge testing. People with heart conditions or other health issues may still qualify after evaluation. This is general information, not medical advice. Anyone considering a flight should talk with their own doctor.

Costs, risks and how to decide

Costs. Suborbital seats have been sold at hundreds of thousands of dollars, and Virgin Galactic says its latest tranche sold at $750,000. Orbital mission prices are negotiated privately and run far higher. Deposits, refund terms and waiting lists vary by company, so read contracts carefully.

Risks. Human spaceflight remains risky. Launch, reentry and landing are the most dangerous phases. Operators publish safety records as required, so ask for them and read the risk disclosure in full before paying a deposit.

Schedules. Expect delays. Both suborbital operators in the US have paused or shifted service dates in 2026, and orbital missions depend on rocket, capsule and station availability.

Where to start if you’re seriously considering it

1. Decide which experience you want. A few minutes of weightlessness and a view, or a multi-day mission with real work?
2. Check current availability. Service status changes often. Confirm whether flights are operating or paused before committing.
3. Read the risk disclosure and contract. Pay attention to deposits, refund rules, flight delays and medical disqualification terms.
4. Get a medical opinion early. Ask your doctor about g-forces and any conditions you have.
5. Plan for the time commitment. Suborbital trips need days on site. Orbital missions need months of training.
6. Experience it from the ground first. Watching a crewed launch in person is a great way to see the scale of it. See how to watch a rocket launch, and our Florida top list if you’re planning a Space Coast trip.

Conclusion

Space tourism is real, but it’s 2 very different products. Suborbital flights offer a brief, intense trip past the edge of space after a few days of training, while orbital missions are full spaceflights that demand months of preparation and a much bigger budget. In both cases, passengers fly under informed consent rather than government safety certification, and schedules shift often. To see where government human spaceflight is headed next, read our guide to NASA’s Artemis program, or browse space terms in the glossary.

Sources

• 14 CFR 460.45, Operator informing space flight participant of risk (Cornell LII) — written risk disclosure, no government safety certification, written informed consent
• 14 CFR 460.51, Space flight participant training (Cornell LII) — required emergency training topics
• Commercial Human Spaceflight Safety Regulations, Congressional Research Service — learning period history and January 1, 2028 expiration
• Virgin Galactic second quarter 2026 results — Delta-class service moved to February 2027, $750,000 seat tranche
• Blue Origin: New Shepard to pause flights — pause of at least 2 years announced January 30, 2026
• Axiom Space: NASA selects Axiom for fifth private astronaut mission — Ax-5 targeted no earlier than January 2027