The ultimate high-fliers: The ultra-wealthy planning to be the first tourists in space

Space tourism, likely to be enjoyed initially only by the extremely wealthy, is getting closer

Getting ready for a float, Danish financier Per Wimmer sees himself as a pioneer and has bought his ticket for a journey into space © Tom Pilston

VSS Unity, the latest Virgin Galactic spacecraft, made its first powered flight in April this year © Virgin Galactic.

Richard Branson, centre, welcomes VSS Unity home from a second supersonic flight in May this year © Quinn Tucker/Quasar Media

SpaceX chief executive Elon Musk with Yusaku Maezawa, who has paid a deposit to be on Space X’s BFR spacecraft © Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg

Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, unveiling his Blue Origin spacecraft in 2017 © Matthew Staver/Bloomberg

Virgin Galactic’s chief executive George Whitesides beside the company’s reusable orbital launch vehicle © Bob Riha, Jr./
Virgin Galactic via Getty Images