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To become a space tourist, you must meet the passenger criteria of a specific spaceflight operator and complete its medical review, preparation, training, and informed-consent process. There is no single public eligibility checklist that applies to every company or mission. Requirements can depend on the vehicle and flight profile, so ask the operator for its current written criteria before booking.
Start with the operator—not astronaut-selection rules
Commercial passenger eligibility is different from becoming a NASA astronaut. NASA’s Human Spaceflight Standards are for NASA programs; NASA says their applicability and tailoring depend on the mission profile and procurement strategy. They are not a universal checklist for tourists.
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The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) calls a non-crew occupant carried on a launch or reentry vehicle a “space flight participant.” The FAA licenses commercial launches and reentries, regulates crew qualifications and training where relevant to public safety, and verifies applicable participant informed-consent requirements. It does not certify vehicles as safe for human travel. Its authority to regulate occupant health and safety is limited by federal law; the FAA’s Human Space Flight page says the legislative moratorium is set to expire January 1, 2028. Because this legal framework and date are time-sensitive, check the FAA’s current information when evaluating an operator.
Public disclosures from Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic illustrate different approaches, not industry-wide rules. The available sources do not establish universal age, height, weight, health, or mobility cutoffs, nor how often applicants qualify. Request the chosen operator’s current criteria rather than inferring them from another company’s process.
What health screening may involve
Screening is intended to identify health concerns that could be affected by flight stresses or interfere with safety procedures. Acceleration, microgravity, and radiation can aggravate some pre-existing conditions. The operator’s medical team may need to evaluate a concern if it could cause an in-flight emergency, compromise occupants or the flight, interfere with protective equipment or emergency procedures, or worsen during the mission. A concern is not, by itself, evidence of an automatic disqualification; ask the operator how it handles individual cases.
Virgin Galactic’s published example
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. The brochure does not publish a complete list of disqualifying conditions or a universal fitness test. See the Virgin Galactic brochure for the company’s description.
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Older FAA medical guidance is not a current universal rule
The FAA Office of Aerospace Medicine’s Guidance for Medical Screening of Commercial Aerospace Passengers, published in January 2006, is advisory guidance for operators—not a binding screening standard for every current provider. Under its assumptions, it recommends a medical-history questionnaire reviewed by a physician familiar with aerospace medicine for suborbital passengers. For orbital flights, or suborbital profiles exceeding +3Gz, it recommends a more comprehensive history, physical examination, and laboratory tests. It also assumes passengers can evacuate in an emergency without assistance.
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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteThose recommendations reflect a dated report, not a guarantee of what an operator will require today. The report describes case-by-case evaluation by an operator-retained physician experienced or trained in aerospace medicine. It is not a tool for diagnosing yourself or deciding whether you personally can fly; obtain the current operator’s instructions and discuss individual concerns with its medical team.
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Training depends on the vehicle and mission
| Operator and example | Published passenger preparation | What is not established by that disclosure |
|---|---|---|
| Blue Origin, New Shepard | Blue Origin says on-site passenger training takes two days and covers the mission profile, safety systems, zero-G protocols, and mission simulations. It says the capsule seats six. These details are from its passenger page accessed October 3, 2026. | A universal two-day requirement for other operators or missions, or a comprehensive public medical checklist. See Blue Origin’s passenger page. |
| Virgin Galactic | Virgin Galactic describes an immersive preparation program of events, activities, and training intended to prepare passengers physically and mentally, with operator guidance through the process. | A fixed training duration or universal fitness test. See the Virgin Galactic brochure. |
Use the operator’s current materials to understand how its training fits the specific vehicle and flight profile. In particular, ask what passengers must do themselves, what mobility or evacuation actions are expected, how safety systems are taught, and how much time to plan for on site. Marketing descriptions alone are not enough to compare safety.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Understand the risk disclosure before consenting
Under the FAA’s human-spaceflight 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. Technical information must be understandable, signed informed-consent records must be kept, and the FAA verifies applicable requirements before launch. The current text is in 14 CFR Part 460.
Before signing, use that opportunity to get specific answers in writing:
- What known risks and unknown hazards are disclosed for this vehicle and mission profile?
- What flight history and safety records can the operator provide?
- What happens if screening identifies a health concern, or your health changes before launch?
- What training and emergency actions are expected of passengers, including any evacuation or mobility requirements?
The FAA requirements establish a disclosure and consent process; they do not answer these operator-specific questions for you. Ask the operator directly and make sure you understand its responses before proceeding.
Quick Recap
A practical path from interest to a decision
- Choose a specific operator and mission type. Do not treat suborbital and orbital flights, or different vehicles, as interchangeable when assessing health screening and preparation.
- Request current written passenger criteria. Ask about medical review, mobility and emergency-procedure expectations, training, time on site, and what happens if a health concern arises.
- Raise health questions early. Complete the operator’s requested screening honestly and ask its medical team how individual conditions are evaluated. Do not substitute an old advisory report or another company’s process for the operator’s current requirements.
- Review training and risk disclosures. Confirm what the preparation covers, what you must do during an emergency, and which vehicle-specific risks and safety records will be provided.
- Make an informed decision before consenting. Read the written disclosures, ask questions while you have the opportunity, and proceed only if you understand the operator’s requirements and the risks described.
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