--- title: "SpaceX Says It May Build Starships Exclusively for Space Tourism" description: "SpaceX's much bigger spacecraft Starship may also eventually be destined to launch tourists in the coming years, a big upgrade for future space tourists." date: "2021-09-20" modified: "2021-09-20" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/spacex-starships-tourism" categories: - "Space" - "SpaceX" - "Starship" tags: - "crew dragon" - "SpaceX" - "Starship" - "the digest" --- # SpaceX Says It May Build Starships Exclusively for Space Tourism ![SpaceX's much bigger spacecraft Starship may also eventually be destined to launch tourists in the coming years, a big upgrade for future space tourists.]() *\Image: SpaceX\* ## Soaring Demand SpaceX successfully sent four space tourists on a three day joyride around the Earth inside its Crew Dragon spacecraft last week — and the mission has sent demand soaring, according to the company. "The amount of people who are approaching us through our sales and marketing portals has actually increased significantly," the company's senior director of human spaceflight programs Benji Reed revealed during Saturday's press conference, as [quoted by *Ars Technica*](). "There's tons of interest rolling in now." Even more excitingly, Reed says that the company's much, much bigger spacecraft Starship may also be destined to launch tourists, a massive upgrade that could allow significantly more passengers to embark on an extremely expensive trip to space. "And then, on the horizon of course, is Starship. Starship will be able to carry a lot more people at once," he added. "So, you know, there's really both options, and we have interest for both Dragons and Starships, which is pretty exciting." ## Starship Cruise While SpaceX has [made significant progress]() on developing the Starship spacecraft and its Super Heavy booster, the launch system is far from ready to head up to orbit. An orbital test flight was initially [scheduled for this summer](), but [regulatory approvals]() and other red tape are making a 2021 launch increasingly unlikely. The prospect of a massive Starship spacecraft capable of housing 100 individuals keen on exploring space on their own is an exciting one. Crew Dragon has proven to be a reliable way of ferrying astronauts to the International Space Station — but a cruise ship sounds like a much more enjoyable ride than a taxi. Reed said that the company is also looking at building out more Crew Dragon capsules for tourism "if the demand is there." **READ MORE:** [After Inspiration4, SpaceX sees high demand for free-flyer missions]() \[*Ars Technica*\] **More on the mission:** *[Elon Musk Mocks Joe Biden for Not Congratulating SpaceX Fast Enough]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()