Space Adventures
Space Adventures Ltd. is an Arlington, Virginia-based space tourism company founded in 1998, best known for sending paying tourists to the International Space Station (ISS).The company provides a number of space-related programs, including "zero-gravity" rides on a Russian IL-76 airplane. In May, 2001, it sent American businessman Dennis Tito to the ISS aboard a Russian Aviation and Space Agency Soyuz spacecraft for a reported $20 million payment, making him the first space tourist in history. South African businessman Mark Shuttleworth did the same in April 2002.
On December 16, 2003, the company announced a contract with two unnamed American individuals, who agreed to pay $20 million each to make similar trips in 2004 and 2005.