China’s chief space contractor readies plans for tourism program

As companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin make headlines for sending non-astronauts into space on pricey private tours, a Chinese state firm is expected to unveil its own space tourism program this week, joining other domestic enterprises as they attempt to make headway in the rapidly emerging – and U.S.-dominated – market. China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp (CASC), the primary contractor for the country’s space programme, will unveil details of its inaugural tour at the China Hi-tech Fair, which opens on Friday in the southern tech hub of Shenzhen. According to the Securities Times, a state-owned financial newspaper, reusable rockets and spacecraft will catapult passengers to the edge of the atmosphere, with each paying a hefty fee for the out-of-this-world experience; ticket prices have been estimated to start at 1 million yuan ($140,534). The trip will bring tourists about 100km (62 miles) above sea level – passing the internationally recognised boundary of outer space known as the Karman line – allowing them to feel weightlessness and view the Earth. CASC did not immediately

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