Space travel was previously assumed to be a far-fetched dream, but with firms like Blue Origin, SpaceX, and Virgin Galactic competing to provide space travel more readily accessible and it looks that the future has arrived. 20 years ago, Dennis Tito, a billionaire from the United States, became the first space tourist. Dennis Tito fulfilled a lifetime goal when he reached the International Space Station (ISS) via a Russian Soyuz rocket on April 30, 2001. He still believes the tour was great value for money even 20 years later, regardless of the fact that it cost him $20 million.
Tito shared his experience as a first space tourist that it was really amazing to see my pencil flying in the air. He further told that he saw the darkness of space and the beautiful view of Earth’s curvature. He said that it was the happiest time of his life and incomparable with anything.
First Space Tourist’s Career
Denis Tito initially began his professional career in aerospace engineering and carried his passion for traveling to space alive for many years. He was employed in accounting when he went into space, but he had previously made his debut in aeronautics and astronautics. Tito has always been interested in the universe since he was a youngster.
NASA was opposed to allowing citizens into space. So, Tito appealed to the Soviet Union and started discussions about funding to participate in the country’s space industry. He continued these discussions many years before his first space trip. According to Tito, it was really tough for him to convince Russian for funding. He said that once he thought that he could get involved with the Russians. He finally launched to the International Space Station on April 28, 2001, accompanied by two Russian cosmonauts. Two days later, they arrived at the station.
He stated that it was amazing to watch the Earth and space from the window. He told that it was absolutely fantastic and it was like anything I had anticipated, multiplied by ten. Those 8 days were the most incredible moment of my life.
However only a few rich people have been able to purchase their ticket on board a space trip after Tito originally cleared the way. He is also checking up the industry’s growth in the hopes that more people will have the opportunity to do what he did. He told that you simply wish them the best and hope they have the same fantastic experience.