The next era of space exploration and innovation is here and we’re all invited.

Space tourism is officially taking flight, and it might just save the Earth.

But that wasn’t the only major space travel anniversary celebrated in 2021.

Retro-inspired digital photo collages of outer space travel

Photo Illustration by Mariah Tyler

The name of Blue Origin’s New Shepard launch system is no coincidence.

The Virgin Galactic experience is different.

Its supersonic rocket-powered spaceplane SpaceShipTwo VSS Unity seats six passengers and two highly trained pilots.

Space travel costs shown in an infographic

Sarah Maiden

It came from the other billionaire in the space tourism bubble: Elon Musk.

In the summer of 2020, it began ferrying NASA astronauts there, too.

That can only happen when space travel is safe, scheduled, and affordable.

Black and white image of the Blue Origin spaceship taking off

Courtesy of Blue Origin

Similarly, Branson’s aim is to increase access to space.

“Clean energy as solar power is from the space program,” says Korp.

“Solar panels were invented to power satellites and refined to power spacecraft.”

NASA Astronauts in Space

Cue GPS, weather forecasting, telecommunications, and even internet access.

There are also fleets of satellites large and small that observe how our planet is behaving and changing.

Every single space mission, including suborbital and even zero-gravity flights, have environmental experiments on board as default.

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“This is not about escaping Earth,” said Bezos after the flight.

Bezos wants to scale up into affordable space travel.

However, Blue Origin, Virgin Galactic, and SpaceX won’t be the only way to reach space.

Voyager Station space hotel renderings

Space tourism is here at last.

Instagram had better get ready for “Earth selfies.”