China is focusing on space tourism, with the tech startup Deep Blue Aerospace grabbing attention by offering its first two tickets for suborbital flights scheduled for 2027.
Each ticket, priced at 1.5 million yuan (around $210,000), sold out in just 20 minutes during a live-stream event on Taobao, the Alibaba-owned e-commerce platform.
Located in Jiangsu province, Deep Blue stated that each flight would provide travelers with a 12-minute experience, including at least five minutes of weightlessness.
The company’s chairman, Huo Liang, called the event a significant move toward making commercial space travel more attainable. He remarked, “Ticket prices in the several hundred thousand yuan range may soon be a reality,” alluding to the goal of reducing costs as rocket technology evolves.
Deep Blue’s flights will be suborbital, meaning rockets will reach space but will not complete a full orbit around the Earth. The company highlighted its safety protocols, revealing plans for extensive testing over the next two years to guarantee the reliability and safety of these missions.
The ticket price of $210,000 has generated a buzz on Chinese social media, with users expressing enthusiasm about the possibility of more affordable domestic space travel.
One Weibo user noted, “For many, this is a very extravagant journey, but compared to other ticket prices … it’s a steal.”
By utilizing reusable rocket technology, Deep Blue’s pricing significantly undercuts its global competitors. For instance, Virgin Galactic charges $600,000 per seat for its space experiences, while Blue Origin and SpaceX continue to offer high-priced, exclusive journeys.
Virgin Galactic completed its first commercial flight last August, joining other major players in the space tourism industry. However, China’s competitive pricing strategy could potentially shake up the market.
Additional tickets are anticipated to be released next month, as Deep Blue aims to create an ambitious plan to make space travel a reality for adventure enthusiasts and, eventually, more affordable for the general public.
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