NASA to open International Space Station for tourists in 2020

The '' private astronauts '' will be transported by two companies that are developing vehicles for NASA

NASA has announced that it will authorize the use of the International Space Station (ISS) for tourists and businesses from next year and for a fee. The objective of the measure is to get funding.

"NASA opens the International Space Station for commercial opportunities," Jeff DeWit, chief financial officer of the US space agency, said in New York.

According to station deputy director Robyn Gatens, "NASA will authorize two short astronaut private missions per year."

The missions will last up to 30 days, the agency said. Potentially, a team of at least 12 private astronauts will be able to visit the station every year.

These "private astronauts" will be transported by the two companies that are developing vehicles for NASA: SpaceX, with the Crew Dragon capsule, and Boeing, who builds Starliner.

These companies will choose the tourists and charge the trip, which will be the most expensive part of the adventure: about 58 million dollars. This is the same value that NASA will pay both companies for the transportation of their astronauts.

Tourists will pay the space agency for their stay in orbit, food, water and the entire life support system on board. "It will cost about $ 35,000 a night and an astronaut," DeWit said.

ISS is not exclusive to NASA. The project was started together with Russia in 1998, and other countries participate and also send astronauts.

The United States has and controls most of the modules.

These space tourists will not be the first. American businessman Dennis Tito was at the station in 2001 after paying about $ 20 million to Russia.