Content area
Full text
Roman Chiporukha is known as Mr Intergalactic in the space tourism industry. The founder of SpaceVIP, the world’s first space tourism brokerage, believes the emerging private spaceflight industry has the potential to soon be available to the masses. What began as high–risk suborbital flights will soon include affordable orbital trips, he revealed to Arabian Business Traveller in an exclusive interview.
“We realised there was no platform in the world that aggregated all of these fascinating space adventure experiences in one place,” says Chiporukha. “Before SpaceVIP was launched, you would need to go to the Virgin website, or the Blue Origin website or Axiom’s website,” he says. “And those are just the top three players in the industry. ”
Since securing the final $50 million spot aboard Axiom Space’s landmark AX–1 mission to the International Space Station, Chiporukha — who also co–founded the luxury lifestyle and travel company Roman&Erica — has witnessed a huge uptick in demand for commercial space travel.
Today, he helps facilitate plans for dozens of individuals eager to experience adventures in the “space between space” and be among the planet’s very first space tourists.
“I think in the space [tourism] industry, having a point of reference is needed even more, because people don’t understand the offerings,” Chiporukha points out.
Currently SpaceVIP has partnered with space tourism companies such as Axiom Space, Space Adventures, Space Perspective, and Starfighters Aerospace to others including Blue Origin, Virgin Galactic and SpaceX. SpaceVIP expects to partner with more space ventures in the near future.
Demand for space travel is booming
Interest in these opportunities has skyrocketed globally. According to SpaceVIP data, inquiries for space related travel have increased tenfold in the past year alone. In the MENA region demand is up 65 percent, much originating from Saudi Arabia and the UAE. This surge correlates with...