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Freedom251 › Blog › commercial spaceflight

How to Become a Space Tourist: Training, Health Checks, and Eligibility

By Freedom251 Team · · 5 min read

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To become a space tourist, you must meet the passenger criteria of a specific commercial operator and complete its medical review, preparation, training, and informed-consent process. There is no single public eligibility checklist that applies to every spacecraft or mission. Ask the operator for its current written requirements before making plans.

What “eligible” means for a commercial spaceflight

Eligibility is determined through the process for the particular operator, vehicle, and mission. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) distinguishes crew from a “space flight participant”: someone who is not crew and is carried aboard a launch or reentry vehicle. FAA licensing covers commercial launches and reentries, and the agency verifies applicable participant informed-consent requirements. That does not mean the FAA certifies a vehicle as safe for human travel or applies one passenger health checklist across the industry. See the FAA’s Human Space Flight guidance and 14 CFR Part 460.

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Passenger eligibility is also different from selection as a NASA astronaut. NASA’s human-system standards are designed for NASA programs and are tailored to mission profile and procurement strategy; they are not a general set of entry requirements for commercial tourists. NASA explains this in its Human Spaceflight Standards material.

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The FAA says Congress has limited its authority to regulate the health and safety of people aboard commercial spaceflight vehicles. Its Human Space Flight page, last updated April 14, 2026, says the legislative moratorium is set to expire January 1, 2028. Because the law and its timing can change, check the FAA’s current explanation rather than treating this date as permanent.

What medical screening may involve

Screening depends on the provider and mission. Virgin Galactic describes a detailed pre-flight medical questionnaire and an in-person physical checkup. Its brochure says its medical team works with passengers on medical conditions, concerns, and questions, but it does not publish a complete list of disqualifying conditions. Read the Virgin Galactic passenger information and ask the operator how it evaluates your circumstances; do not infer that a condition automatically qualifies or disqualifies you.

An older federal advisory offers context, not a current universal rule. The FAA Office of Aerospace Medicine’s Guidance for Medical Screening of Commercial Aerospace Passengers, published in January 2006, recommends a physician-reviewed medical-history questionnaire for suborbital passengers under the report’s assumptions. It says a routine physical and laboratory testing need not be required for that category under those assumptions. For orbital flights or suborbital profiles exceeding +3Gz, it recommends a more comprehensive history, physical examination, and laboratory tests. The report also assumes passengers can evacuate in an emergency without assistance. These are dated recommendations, not binding requirements for every current operator.

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The report identifies acceleration, microgravity, and radiation as possible stressors that could aggravate existing conditions. It describes further evaluation when a condition could cause an in-flight emergency, affect other occupants or the flight, interfere with protective equipment or emergency procedures, or worsen in flight. A physician retained by the operator and experienced or trained in aerospace medicine may assess a case individually. This guidance is not a way to determine your own fitness to fly; the operator’s current medical process is decisive.

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What passenger training looks like

Training varies by vehicle and mission. Public descriptions from two providers illustrate the difference; they should not be read as industry-wide standards.

Operator and mission Published preparation What is not established by this description
Blue Origin, New Shepard Blue Origin says its on-site passenger training takes two days and covers the mission profile, safety systems, zero-G protocols, and mission simulations. Its passenger page says the capsule seats six. Details are Blue Origin’s own statements, accessed October 3, 2026; they may change. Blue Origin: Fly to Space, Return Forever Changed. A universal two-day requirement, or a complete public medical checklist.
Virgin Galactic Virgin Galactic describes an immersive preparation program of events, activities, and training intended to prepare passengers physically and mentally, with guidance through the process. Virgin Galactic brochure and passenger information. A fixed training duration or a universal fitness test.

When comparing opportunities, focus on the mission profile and what passengers are expected to do, rather than treating broad promotional descriptions as evidence of equivalent training or safety. Clarify the schedule, on-site time, mobility demands, emergency procedures, screening steps, and how the operator handles a health change before launch.

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Understand the risks and consent process

Under federal requirements, operators must tell crew and space-flight participants in writing that the U.S. government has not certified the launch or reentry vehicle as safe for carrying humans. They must provide known and potential risk information, relevant safety records for human-carrying vehicles and the operator’s vehicle, and an opportunity to ask questions. The information must be understandable, and operators must retain signed informed-consent records. The FAA verifies applicable requirements before launch. The governing provisions are in 14 CFR Part 460.

“The FAA does not certify launch or reentry vehicles as safe for carrying humans.” — Federal Aviation Administration

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Before committing, use the operator’s consent process to ask what risks and unknown hazards are disclosed, what the vehicle’s flight history is, what happens if screening raises a concern, which emergency actions passengers are expected to perform, and how a change in health before launch should be reported. Federal rules require an opportunity to ask questions; they do not answer these operator-specific questions in advance.

A practical route to finding out if you qualify

  1. Choose a mission and operator. Requirements depend on the vehicle and profile. Look for the operator’s current passenger information rather than applying astronaut-selection criteria.
  2. Request current written criteria. Ask about medical screening, physical or mobility demands, training, emergency procedures, time on site, and any passenger cutoffs. Public sources do not establish universal age, height, weight, health, or mobility thresholds.
  3. Disclose relevant health information through the operator’s process. Follow its questionnaire and examination instructions, and ask how its medical team evaluates conditions or concerns. Do not rely on a general online checklist or the 2006 advisory to self-clear.
  4. Review training and risk materials before consenting. Make sure you understand the mission, passenger responsibilities, disclosed risks, and the process for questions and updates before launch.
  5. Confirm how changes are handled. Ask the operator what to do if your health or mobility changes between screening, training, and flight.

Booking availability, schedules, prices, and screening decisions can change; confirm them directly with the provider. The Department of Transportation’s 2026 information-collection notice concerns human space-flight requirements, but it does not supply a universal passenger qualification list.

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