Axiom CEO Tejpaul Bhatia told Business Insider about its $70 million space ticket that comes with a yearlong training program.
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00:00What does a $70 million ticket to space include?
00:03I recently spoke with Axiom CEO Tejpal Bhatia to have him break it down for us.
00:08Unlike other human spaceflight missions like Blue Origin's New Shepard trip,
00:12this extends beyond an 11-minute journey to space.
00:15Members of the crew take a roughly two-week trip to the International Space Station.
00:20And the $70 million price tag doesn't just cover a trip to space.
00:24It also includes a year-long program to become a trained astronaut that meets NASA standards.
00:29The trips are open to countries, space agencies, researchers, organizations, and individuals,
00:34but they have to align with the company's mission and overall objectives.
00:38The mission isn't meant to be a leisurely vacation.
00:41And unlike other companies that offer human spaceflight,
00:44Axiom Space doesn't manufacture its own rockets or spaceships.
00:47It has contracts with companies like SpaceX to send astronauts to space.
00:51So what happens when you purchase a ticket?
00:53Members of the program train for about a year,
00:56and Axiom Space partners with companies like NASA to conduct the training,
00:59which includes 700 to 1,000 hours of instruction in safety, health,
01:03international space systems, and launch operations.
01:06Once they get on the flight, the experience is actually far from luxurious.
01:10Axiom's CEO told me that the roughly two-week trip involves a very regimented routine,
01:15including hard science and research.
01:17The exact price is determined on a case-by-case basis,
01:20but tickets cost roughly $70 million,
01:23which is pretty steep compared to other human spaceflight options offered by space tourism companies.
01:28For context, Blue Origin requires a $150,000 refundable deposit,
01:33and it auctioned off a ticket for $28 million.
01:36Virgin Galactic tickets were previously priced at $600,000, but they're expected to go up.
01:41It's hard to compare these experiences when you are paying for something pretty different.
01:45Axiom Space is getting ready to launch its next mission, AX4,
01:48which should be happening any day now.
01:50To read the full story, head to businessinsider.com.