By Alan Breakstone

Space Adventures, Ltd., of Arlington, Virginia, USA, has commissioned a market survey on space tourism. The Harris Interactive study was conducted electronically. Candidates were selected based on income, education level, and location (the United States and Canada); a total of 2022 people responded to the multiple-choice electronic questionnaire.

According to Space Adventures’ Tereza Predescu, "The result of the study clearly indicates the tremendous potential of the space tourism market." Space Adventures’ market analysis states that, at the price of $100,000, more than 10,000 people per year would purchase a sub-orbital space flight experience. That would result in a $1 billion annual yield solely from sub-orbital tourist flights. Overall, 86% of those surveyed were interested in traveling into space for leisure and tourism."

Motivations for embarking on a tourist flight into space (in ranking order):

1. The desire to look at Earth from space
2. The desire to look at space from space
3. Actually being in space
4. Staying aboard a space station
5. Experiencing weightlessness

"Our study confirms previous studies conducted.... The majority of people [are] interested in space travel," said Space Adventures’ Predescu. "Previous studies are not as comprehensive and were more general."

Space Adventures carried out this market research because the company believes that there are not enough market studies, and the ones that currently exist are very old.

"We saw the need of a new, more detailed, market study," said Predescu, "and of course, one where we focused on OUR space tours as well."

Space Adventures has more than 100 sub-orbital reservations currently priced at $98,000.