Chinese Startups Enter Space Tourism Race

Deep Blue Aerospace, a Chinese startup, announced plans to sell tickets for space tourism flights in 2027, pricing each ticket at 1.5 million yuan. The company emphasizes the importance of reusable rockets to lower launch costs, aiming for large-scale space tourism commercialization.

Chinese startup Deep Blue Aerospace announced on Thursday its venture into space tourism by offering seats on a rocket slated for a 2027 launch. Each ticket, priced at 1.5 million yuan ($211,000), marks the company's first foray into the burgeoning commercial spaceflight industry.

The tickets will be available for purchase at 6 p.m. (1000 GMT), with plans to release additional tickets next month. Passengers will enjoy a suborbital flight, experiencing outer space without entering orbit.

As part of the competitive landscape, Deep Blue Aerospace highlights the significance of reusable rockets in reducing prohibitively high launch costs, which hinder widespread commercialization. Additionally, the startup aims to recover a rocket from orbit by early 2025. Meanwhile, another Chinese entity, state-backed CAS Space, is eyeing a 2028 launch for its space tourism service.

(With inputs from agencies.)