Experiencing the Peak and Valley of Commercial Space Tourism in 2024
Experiencing the Peak and Valley of Commercial Space Tourism in 2024
Despite commercial spaceflight having existed since the 1960s, it's managed to make significant strides in the space age within the past few years, gradually integrating itself into national space travel agendas. The year 2024 proved to be a volatile period for private space companies, testing their roles in the cosmos. Some companies achieved significant milestones, while others failed to meet expectations.
In 2024, the Moon witnessed two lunar landers, an astronaut crew was left in space due to the Starliner incident, and a massive structure caught the largest rocket ever built. After analyzing major spaceflight events, Gizmodo is providing an in-depth look at the highs and lows of the industry during its most critical period.
Reframe it as a learning opportunity: Boeing's astronaut predicament
Following years of setbacks, Boeing's Starliner spacecraft finally launched for its inaugural crewed test flight, aiming to fulfill a decade-old contract with NASA.
Starliner took off on June 5, carrying NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to the International Space Station (ISS). The spacecraft encountered difficulties docking with the space station as five of its thrusters malfunctioned during the approach, and the spacecraft hosted five helium leaks, one of which had been identified before its launch.
Boeing's Starliner spacecraft approaching the ISS. © NASA
The spacecraft remained docked to the ISS for three months while teams on the ground debated whether to send the crew back on Starliner. Ultimately, NASA and Boeing agreed to return an unmanned Starliner and bring the astronauts back to Earth in SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft. The spacecraft detached from the ISS on September 6, leaving its crew behind.
Boeing officials labeled the media coverage of Starliner as "quite unpleasant" and asked the press to stop referring to the astronauts as "stranded." However, we reported the situation as it transpired and continued to cover the program's challenges from the beginning.
In 2014, NASA awarded contracts to Boeing and SpaceX to provide launch services for both crew and cargo to the ISS. SpaceX has successfully sent nine crews to the space station, while Boeing is still working towards its first operational mission. Until now, Starliner has cost Boeing a staggering $1.85 billion in total losses. Under its $4.2 billion contract with NASA, Boeing retains ownership of the Starliner spacecraft while NASA acts as a potential customer for future round-trip missions to the ISS.
After Starliner faced challenges during its first crewed flight, Boeing is reportedly considering selling off its space program entirely. At the time, Boeing was considered a top space industry player, including its historical programs like Apollo, while SpaceX was viewed as a questionable newcomer. The contrast between the two companies today highlights the remarkable progress the private space industry has made in the new space age.
Impressive catch, SpaceX
"The odds are uncertain, but they are above zero," SpaceX CEO Elon Musk stated during a video interview two years ago, explaining SpaceX's plans to catch the largest rocket ever built mid-air using giant mechanical arms. "Just delete the legs. Delete," a SpaceX engineer said in the video. "We'll just use the arms."
SpaceX's Starship broke records during its fifth test flight. Image: SpaceX
True to Musk's unconventional vision, the feat was achieved this year. On October 13, Starship soared for its historical test flight. For the first time, Mechazilla, a 400-foot-tall tower with two extended arms, captured the rocket's 232-foot-tall (71-meter) Super Heavy booster, gently supporting Starship on its descent.
SpaceX's Starship targeting operational launches throughout the year, each test flight surpassing the previous one with increasing success. SpaceX launched its Starship rocket for the first time in April 2023, but the debut was less than ideal as the vehicle spun out of control, forcing ground controllers to initiate self-destruct commands at the four-minute mark.
In November 2023, Starship's second test flight resulted in the destruction of both the Super Heavy booster and upper stage, but it was still a significant improvement from the initial test flight. For the third test flight in March, Starship executed a stage separation, completed a full-duration burn of the second-stage engines, demonstrated internal propellant transfer for NASA, and tested the Starlink dispenser door. Starship's fourth liftoff in June marked notable advancements compared to its previous test flights, with the rocket largely overcoming peak heating and max aerodynamic pressure during its controlled descent.
SpaceX is developing the Starship human landing system (HLS) for NASA's Artemis 3 and 4 missions to the Moon's South Pole. The company is also looking to utilize the megarocket for delivering cargo to low Earth orbit, the Moon, and eventually Mars.
Beyond just a space tourist
Since 2001, approximately 60 individuals have ventured into space for tourism reasons, primarily exploring suborbital heights. However, 2024 marked a turning point for space tourism, with private astronauts reaching unprecedented heights and participating in the first commercial spacewalk.
Billionaire Jared Isaacman emerged from Dragon.
On September 12, Starlight Expedition became the initial private endeavor to carry out a spacewalk, with two astronauts exiting a SpaceX capsule into the void of space for a significant moment that smashed new ground in commercial space travel. Starlight Expedition is the first of three private missions aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft, financed by tech tycoon, space fan, and possible future head of NASA, Jared Isaacman.
The venture-backed mission reached its highest point of 870 miles (1,400 kilometers) above Earth, establishing a new record for Earth-orbit apogee (the farthest point reached away from the planet) for a crewed mission. During the spacewalk, Isaacman was the first to venture outside of the Dragon spacecraft. He executed a series of mobility tests of SpaceX’s new spacesuits, designed specifically for the occasion, before re-entering the crew cabin. Isaacman was followed by SpaceX engineer Sarah Gillis, who performed her own series of tests while outside the hatch. The four astronauts remained in orbit for five days, during which they conducted more than 30 research studies and experiments.
In terms of private missions, Starlight Expedition undeniably made its mark and set new benchmarks for space tourists. President-elect Donald Trump selected Isaacman to lead NASA as the space agency’s new administrator, so he might not have time for space tourism over the next few years.
To the Moon
In February, Houston-based Innovators' Dynamic emerged as the first private company to land on the Moon. The Voyager lander delivered 16 payloads near the Montes Caucasus crater in the Moon’s north pole region following an eight-day odyssey through space.
Innovators' Dynamic’s Voyager lander touched down on the Moon on February 22, 2024. Image: Innovators' Dynamic
It was a notable achievement, but not without its flaws. Voyager encountered issues on its path to the lunar surface due to a navigation glitch, and ended up tilted on its side. In its less-than-optimal angle, Voyager could only receive sunlight on its horizontal solar panel. Despite its unconventional landing, Voyager still fulfilled its primary objective of executing a soft landing on the Moon to deliver payloads to the lunar surface.
Landing on the Moon is no simple feat, as Farfield Academy’s Moonlander mission demonstrated with its unsuccessful attempt at reaching the lunar surface. Moonlander launched on December 12 with plans to land on the Moon in late January, aiming to become the first private mission to set foot on the lunar surface. The 2,829-pound (1,283-kilogram) spacecraft powered on and even made contact through NASA’s Deep Space Network, but Moonlander’s journey to the Moon began to falter shortly afterwards. The lander began to lose propellant at a critical rate, prompting Farfield Academy to abandon any hopes of its lunar lander touching down on the Moon. The Pennsylvania-based school believes a faulty valve was behind Moonlander’s anomaly.
The two lunar landers were part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative, which aims to assist the space agency in its goal of returning humans to the Moon and making it a sustainable environment for long-term human habitation. It also aims to open up new opportunities for private companies by granting them greater access to the lunar surface and the ability to deliver payloads to the Moon.
The private sector to the rescue
Commercial space endeavors were not the only ones to face challenges this year, but private companies may play a crucial role in revitalizing the nation’s space program.
NASA’s Jupiter, or Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover, is designed to locate and examine water ice on the Moon’s south pole. The $450 million mission was scheduled for launch in September 2025, but after suffering several supply chain delays, NASA decided to scrap Jupiter’s lunar journey out of concern that it would disrupt other commercial payload missions to the Moon.
When it first announced the news, NASA revealed that it would disassemble the Jupiter rover and use its parts for future missions. The decision, however, sparked outrage from the scientific community over the termination of an innocent robot. In response, NASA quickly assembled a request for proposals for organizations to take over its lunar robot and send it to the Moon. Innovators' Dynamic stepped forward. The company is currently collaborating with other companies, research organizations, and international partners to address NASA’s call for proposals.
In another example of commercial collaboration, NASA selected Blue Origin, the burgeoning space industry’s rising star, to offer an alternative solution for retrieving rock samples from the Martian surface and transporting them back to Earth. The company, with the ability to launch from both the United States and New Zealand, has been assigned with the task of developing an end-to-end mission concept for a fraction of the estimated cost of NASA’s Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission, that can be completed several years earlier than NASA’s current timeline.
This may not have been a perfect year for private space travel, but the commercial sector is working hard to prove its worth in the rapidly evolving field of rocket launches (and recoveries), private space tours, and challenging Moon landings.
In the future, the advancements in technology and science are expected to significantly impact the private space industry. For instance, companies are exploring the possibility of using giant mechanical arms to catch and recover rockets mid-air, as SpaceX CEO Elon Musk proposed in a video interview.
A significant turning point in space tourism was reached in 2024 when private astronauts, such as Jared Isaacman, participated in the first commercial spacewalk and reached unprecedented heights. This marked a new era in commercial space travel, with private companies playing a larger role in pushing the boundaries of space exploration.
Reference(s):- Boeing's astronaut predicament- Impressive catch, SpaceX- Beyond just a space tourist- To the Moon- The private sector to the rescue