Chinese company opens space tourism ticket sales in 2027

Deep Blue Aerospace announced on October 23 that it will take passengers to suborbital space in 2027 with tickets costing 1.5 million yuan ($210,000).

For that price, customers will get 'much more than just a brief weightless experience ,' Deep Blue Aerospace said . 'They will experience the vastness and mystery of space, witnessing the majestic landscapes beyond Earth. This will be a multi-sensory, comprehensive, and unforgettable space travel experience of a lifetime ,' the company shared.

Deep Blue Aerospace also introduced an image of its suborbital flight system - a reusable rocket-spacecraft combination similar to the New Shepard of the US company Blue Origin.

Simulation of Deep Blue Aerospace's rocket and passenger spacecraft complex. (Photo: Deep Blue Aerospace).

New Shepard has so far made eight human suborbital flights, most recently on August 29. The spacecraft can carry six passengers. They will experience a few minutes of weightlessness and see the blue Earth against the dark background of space during the 10- to 12-minute flight from takeoff to landing. Deep Blue Aerospace's suborbital flights may be similar.

Deep Blue Aerospace says the spacecraft will launch on the company's Nebula-1 reusable rocket. The spacecraft will fly at a maximum altitude of 100-150 km, which could take passengers past the Kármán Line and into the edge of space. The suborbital flight will last about 12 minutes, during which passengers will experience at least 5 minutes of weightlessness.

The round-trip ticket costs 1.5 million yuan (about $210,000) , less than half the cost of a suborbital flight by US company Virgin Galactic. Virgin Galactic is one of two companies that have successfully launched paying passengers into suborbital space, along with Blue Origin. While Blue Origin has not disclosed ticket prices , Virgin Galactic recently priced tickets at $450,000 for a roughly 90-minute trip to the edge of space.

Deep Blue Aerospace put two tickets on sale at a live event on October 24 and they were snapped up immediately. Each buyer paid a 50,000 yuan deposit. Their identities have not been revealed. However, the ticket purchase conditions are that they be between the ages of 18 and 60 and in good health. Next, the buyers will undergo a rigorous physical examination to determine whether they are fit for the flight.

"The suborbital spacecraft will land using a parachute system, ensuring passengers return to Earth safely. The spacecraft-rocket complex will also undergo dozens of tests in 2026 to ensure safety and reliability," said a representative of Deep Blue Aerospace.

Deep Blue Aerospace isn't the only Chinese company planning to enter the space tourism market. CAS Space, a spinoff company of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), is also developing a suborbital human vehicle that could be operational in the next few years if all goes according to plan.