Picture this: You are hurtling through the edges of the atmosphere, and the large windows in your craft show the cobalt blue sky turning to mauve and indigo and finally to black. Adrenalin is gushing through your veins and you are on an incredible high. You ask yourself - "Is this really happening? Am I really flying to space or is this a dream from which I might soon wake up." But deep inside you know that what you are experiencing is real. You're loving it and cherishing every moment of it. You are feeling numb, yet your senses are on full alert, as you don't want to miss any aspect of your flight.

Few intrepid adventurers have already poked their nose into space and now there is no turning back from the idea of space tourism. The rise of space tourism seems as inevitable as the daily rising of the sun. In the not too distant future it might become common for people to go out on a space sojourn. How about a luxury trip to Mars? Or to one of Jupiter's moons? But can we have a space vacation in five star comforts? If the fast emerging breed of space tycoons have their way, then all future treks into space are bound to be embellished with all the luxury and style that money can buy.

To go places and do things that have never been done before - that's what adventurous living is all about. April 28, 2001 would go down in history as the day when the concept of space tourism erupted into the public domain in a very big way. This was the day that Dennis Tito, a California-based multi-millionaire, won for himself the distinction of being the first ever space tourist.

Following a rigorous eight-month training program and, of course, a $20 million ticket, the 60-year-old flew on a Russian rocket, Soyuz TM- 32, for a 10-day stay at the International Space Station.

In a way, Tito's voyage into space has heralded a completely new genre of adventure. Now travel outside the realms of Earth's gravity isn't the province of just a select few; anyone with drive, determination, and, the capacity to spend big bucks can become an astronaut. Tito paid a really high price for his space adventure. $20 million for ten days in space translates into $2 million per day. What a bill! But for him the incredible adventure was worth every penny. He had the privilege of being able to see four different sunsets in a day. A totally unparalleled experience!

You're traveling at 27,200 kilometers (16,902 miles) per hour, and when you enter orbit, you see the Earth below you and dark sky above you. It's a view that very few humans have ever seen.    

Tito says the most memorable part of his trip was his entry into orbit. "You're traveling at 27,200 kilometers (16,902 miles) per hour, and when you enter orbit, you see the Earth below you and dark sky above you. It's a view that very few humans have ever seen. But now I can enjoy space at a much lower price, by reliving it in my head. If you are fortunate enough to have the resources, why not do it? People spend that much on a Van Gogh."

Yeah, why not! Why not venture into space when all it costs is money? That is a question that many rich individuals are asking themselves. The list of prospective space travelers keeps growing by the minute. If you are willing to spend big bucks to go scuba diving, island hopping, or to climb Mount Everest, then why not go in for the ultimate adventure of all? There can be no greater test of spirit than a trip beyond earth’s gravity and back.

Because of the high rates, space tourism is still beyond the reach of most people in the world. But the good news is that the rates are about to come down. The thrill and awe of looking at Earth from a vantage point may soon be available to you for as low as $200,000. And if Virgin's brash CEO Richard Branson has his way, the price tag might get even cheaper. Virgin Galactic has plans to take people into space and bring them back for a price tag of just $100,000 per head. What is even better, Virgin Galactic plans to launch tourists into space after only a 3-day training session instead of the grueling 8-month training that Tito had to endure.

A recent web-based survey has suggested that over 70% of those surveyed wanted a vacation of at least 2 weeks in space; in addition, 88% wanted to space walk (only 74% of these would do it for a 50% premium), and 21% wanted to stay in a hotel or space station. With so muchdemand for space travel, it is inevitable that the prices will keep plummeting. There might come a day when you will be able to afford a ticket to space without making any major dent on your wallet.

Richard Branson says that someday the market for space tourism will get as big as the market for earth bound aviation. About a billion people fly every year in planes on Earth, and if Branson’s estimates are true then there could be a billion space tourists every year. Does that sound plausible? Where would these many tourists stay when they go into space? Someone who likes to be a Devil’s Advocate may throw up the question: “Why would anyone want to go to orbit? There’s nothing there - no bars, no casinos, no shopping malls – it’s just a cold, dark void.” But that is such a naïve thing to say. Don’t you think so?

The most unique selling point about space tourism is that it gives you a chance to see the world in a new light. Once you are in space and looking down upon your planet, your perspective and appreciation of life on Earth is bound to change. On the website of Virgin Galactic, this is what Richard Branson has to say, "Nothing can really prepare you for your first experience of space, but we will ensure that you are fully equipped to savor every second of an experience which will be intense, wonderful and truly unforgettable. And, as you would expect from a Virgin company, your comfort and enjoyment will be our primary aim right up until you leave the spaceport, complete with a fully documented record of the whole experience and of course, with your astronaut wings!"

You could gaze at deserts and mountains, jungles and plains, ice packs and whirling storms. The lighted world of cities, oil fields and gas-flares would be a scene by themselves. There is no end to the zero gravity games that you can play once you escape earth’s gravity field. There could be those amongst us who might consider having sex in zero gravity as an incredible experience. Once space tycoons are able to bring to fruition their plans of having bigger hotels, there could be big chambers in space, which would allow you enough room to float around across vast distances. Or you could have a game called Catch the Bubble, where you squeeze a bottle of water in space and have bubbles of water floating around. You and other players try to catch the floating bubbles, the one who catches the maximum number of bubbles wins. If you are a real risk taker then space walk is also a possibility.

Another Japanese company is talking about building zero gravity stadiums in space. How about flying into space to watch your favorite football game being played in zero gravity! I am sure many of us would be game for that. One thing is for sure that in the years to come, the final frontier of space is about to be breached in a very big way.