Key Takeaways
- Beijing InterstellOr has launched plans for its CYZ-1 manned spaceship, offering suborbital flights to paying customers.
- The spacecraft can reach altitudes up to 200 km, providing passengers with approximately three minutes of weightlessness.
- Tickets are priced at 3 million yuan ($430,000), with initial bookings from Chinese businesspeople and a scientist.
Ambitious Space Tourism Ventures Unveiled
The Chinese government has introduced favorable policies to enhance the commercial space sector, prompting Beijing InterstellOr Human Spaceflight Technology to announce plans for a suborbital tourist spacecraft. CEO Lei Shiqing revealed the CYZ-1 manned spaceship at a business event in Chengdu, Sichuan province, emphasizing its aim to provide a “safe, comfortable, and affordable” experience for passengers.
The CYZ-1 is designed with two main components: a crew module accommodating six seats and a standby escape capsule. It weighs approximately 8 metric tons, has a 4-meter diameter, and offers 21 cubic meters of internal space. Launched by a small carrier rocket, the spacecraft will detach at around 70 kilometers, enabling it to reach the Karman Line at 100 kilometers, a recognized boundary between the atmosphere and outer space, before soaring up to 200 km.
Passengers can anticipate about three minutes of weightlessness during the 20-minute flight before the spacecraft descends and reenters Earth’s atmosphere. In the final stage, large parachutes will facilitate a safe landing at a designated site. Chief designer Zhang Minjie highlighted the use of advanced technologies in the escape, reentry, and landing systems, which are intended to reduce overall costs and enhance passenger comfort. Zhang, previously involved in developing China’s next-generation crewed spaceship, is focused on rigorous ground testing to assure safety and reliability.
InterstellOr plans to conduct two unmanned test flights before the end of 2028, followed by the first crewed flight. The company has reported that over 20 seats on initial CYZ-1 flights have been reserved by various individuals, including business leaders and a notable scientist, at a price of 3 million yuan (approximately $430,000) each.
Looking ahead, Lei announced intentions to develop the CYZ-2 model, capable of reaching low-Earth orbit, with its inaugural manned flight projected for around 2032. A recent test of the vehicle’s landing-buffering system yielded satisfying results, confirming the system’s reliability through successful evaluations of the capsule’s structure and onboard functionalities.
The content above is a summary. For more details, see the source article.
