In 2020, Nasa will open the International Space Station to tourists. Meanwhile, private space companies are racing to send travellers into orbit. Will you be going to space on holiday soon?

Is space tourism finally here? Almost. NasaThe National Aeronautics and Space Administration, responsible for the US space programme. has announced that it will open the International Space StationA joint project between the US, Russia, Japan, Canada and the European Space Agency. (ISS) to tourists from 2020. Two private astronauts will make the journey per year, staying on the ISS for up to 30 days.

Whilst this is a first for Nasa, it is not the first time a tourist has gone to the ISS. All the way back in 2001, US businessman Dennis Tito paid Russia (that co-owns the space station) $20m (16m) for a round trip.

How will they get there? This is where SpaceX (Elon MuskA South African-born entrepreneur whose companies have included the online payment service PayPal.'s private space exploration company) comes in. Nasa has paid SpaceX billions to build the Crew Dragon, a capsule that can carry astronauts to space and back.

In March 2019, the spacecraft had its first successful test flight. The Crew Dragon was blasted into space atop the reuseableCan be used again. Falcon 9 rocket, which flipped over and safely returned to Earth after launching.

Meanwhile, the Crew Dragon capsule went soaring into orbit, circling Earth 18 times before reaching the ISS. After five days, it was time to come home. The Crew Dragon detached from the ISS, re-entered Earth's atmosphere and survived temperatures of 1,600C as it sped back down to Earth, before landing safely in the Atlantic Ocean.

Nasa is also planning to ferry tourists in a new capsule called a Starliner, which is being built by aviation company Boeing.

Great! When can I go? Don't get too excited just yet. Space flight comes with a hefty price tag. Nasa says a stay on the ISS will cost tourists $35,000 (27,500) per night.

That's not including the "taxi fare" charged by SpaceX and BoeingAn American multinational corporation that designs, makes and sells aircraft, rockets, satellites and missiles. for a seat on the capsule, which will be around $60m (48m) per flight. For the time being, it looks like space travel will only be accessible to celebrities and the super rich.

Who else is working on space tourism? Virgin Galactic (owned by Richard BransonHis businesses have included Virgin Records, Virgin Trains and the space-tourism company Virgin Galactic.) is closing in on its last few test flights after a series of successes. The rocket-powered space plane will carry six passengers and two pilots into near-space, around 80km above the Earth's surface.

Over 700 people have signed up for a 175,000 seat, including Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Lady Gaga and Leonardo DiCaprio.

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has similar plans for his company, Blue Origin, which intends to launch its first person into space before the end of the year. Tourists will experience several minutes of weightlessness before returning to Earth.

Even more ambitiously, SpaceX is sending Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa on a week-long flight around the Moon in 2023. Maezawa wants to take six to eight artists with him, free of charge.

Is it worth the cost? During the golden age of space exploration that put man on the Moon, Nasa was funded by the US government. At the time, some scientists complained it was diverting money from
more important projects. But, now, private billionaires like Musk and Branson have breathed new life into humanity's conquest of the stars.

In 2018, US president Donald Trump called for the ISS to be defunded by the US government by 2025. Nasa may need space tourism to fund the future of space exploration.

Why travel to space? For Stephen Attenborough of Virgin Galactic, the feeling of leaving Earth is priceless. "That's the point when the switch flicks," he said. "You get an understanding of the fragility of life and the beauty of the planet."

This experience will become more accessible over time. Virgin Galactic hopes the price tag for its flights will fall to 30,000 within ten years, and keep falling beyond that. Hotels on the Moon may still be a long way off but, with current progress, who knows where we'll be in 50 years?