Russia's RSC Energia Offers Tourist Flights To Moon For $150Mln-$180Mln - Source

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 23rd September, 2018) Russia's Energia Rocket and Space Corporation (RSC Energia) is ready to offer tickets for a lunar tourist flight aboard the Soyuz spacecraft for the price between $150 million and $180 million each, a source in the rocket and space industry told Sputnik on Sunday.

On Tuesday, SpaceX said that Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa would become the first private passenger to fly around the moon aboard the BFR launch vehicle. The flight is expected to take place in 2023.

"RSC Energia has been developing a project to fly around the moon on the Soyuz spacecraft for many years, including providing tourist services. However, now the price of the ticket has increased slightly due to the revision of the economic requirements for the project, and the cost will be from $150 million to $180 million," the source said.

He noted that it was Energia and the US' Space Adventures tourism company Space Adventures who initially entered the commercial market with the offer of a lunar tourist flight. At first, the ticket cost $150 million, and later the price fell to $120 million due to lack of demand.