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DETAILS: How to become a space tourist
Thrill-seekers might soon be able to get their adrenaline kicks — and envy-inducing Instagram snaps — from the final frontier, as space tourism finally lifts off.
All you’ll need is a bit of patience. And a lot of money.
Here’s a rundown of where things stand.
Who’s offering spaceflights?
Two companies are offering short “suborbital” hops of a few minutes: Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic, founded by Richard Branson.
Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket takes off vertically and the crew capsule detaches and crosses the Karman line (62 miles, or 100 kilometers, in altitude), before falling back to Earth with three parachutes.
Virgin Galactic uses a massive carrier plane, which takes off from a horizontal runway then drops a rocket-powered spaceplane. This in turn soars to over 50 miles altitude before gliding back.
In both cases, up to six passengers are able to unbuckle from their seats to experience a few minutes of weightlessness and take in the view of Earth from space.
When can you go?
Virgin Galactic has said regular commercial flights will begin from 2022, following two more test flights. Their waiting list is already long, with 600 tickets so far sold.
But the company predicts it will eventually run up to 400 flights per year. Two seats on one of the first flights are up for grabs in a prize draw: registrations are open until September 1.
As for Blue Origin, no detailed calendar has been announced.
“We’re planning for two more flights this year, then targeting many more in 2022,” a spokesperson told AFP.
Another way to get to space is via reality television. Space Hero, an upcoming show, says it plans to send the winner of a competition to the International Space Station (ISS) in 2023.
How much will it cost?
The first tickets sold by Virgin Galactic went for between $200,000 and $250,000 each, but the company has warned that the cost for future sales will go up.
Blue Origin hasn’t announced prices. The anonymous winner of a public auction for a seat on the first crewed flight paid $28 million, but decided to defer their trip.
It’s not known what amount was bid for the seat secured by Dutch teen Oliver Daemen, who will fly in the auction winner’s place.
The more “budget conscious” might consider spending $125,000 for a seat on Space Neptune: a capsule that offers 360 degree windows and is lifted to the upper atmosphere by a balloon the size of a football stadium.
Despite the promise of spectacular views, the balloon ascends only 19 miles — far from the boundary of space, and weightlessness.
The 300 seats for 2024 have all been sold, but reservations are open for 2025.
Are the physical requirements tough?
No — you’re only expected to be in reasonable shape. Virgin Galactic’s training lasts just five days.
Blue Origin promises to teach you everything you need to know “the day before you launch,” and its first crewed flight includes pioneering aviator Wally Funk, who at 82 will become the oldest astronaut.
The company’s requirements include being able to climb seven flights of stairs in under 90 seconds (the height of the launch tower) and being between 5’0″ and 110 pounds (152 centimeters and 50 kilograms) and 6’4″ and 223 pounds (193 cm and 100 kg).
What about SpaceX?
Elon Musk’s company is also getting into the space tourism game, but its plans involve journeys that are far longer. The costs are also predicted to be astronomical — tens of millions of dollars.
In September, American billionaire Jared Isaacman has chartered a mission called Inspiration4 to take him and three other passengers into orbit around the Earth on a SpaceX Crew Dragon, launched into space by a Falcon 9 rocket.
Then in January 2022, three businessmen will travel to the ISS with an experienced astronaut. The mission, named Ax-1, is being organized by the company Axiom Space, which has signed up for three other future flights with SpaceX.
Elon Musk’s company is also planning a trip to orbit for four people, organized by intermediary Space Adventures — the same company in charge of the flight of the Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa to the ISS in December, aboard a Russian Soyuz rocket.
Maezawa is also supposed to take a trip around the Moon in 2023, this time aboard a rocket that is still under development by SpaceX, called Starship.
He invited eight members of the public to join him — but applications are now closed.
Bitcoin and other leading cryptocurrencies extended their gains on Monday, driven by positive investor sentiment despite concerns over upcoming U.S. tariffs and key economic data releases later this week.
As of 9:55 am WAT, Bitcoin rose 3.71% to $87,480, while Ethereum gained 4.05%, trading at $2,093. The global cryptocurrency market capitalisation increased by 2.94% in the past 24 hours, reaching $2.84 trillion.
Other notable performers included XRP, Cardano, and Dogecoin, which posted gains of 3%, 2%, and 3.8%, respectively. Chainlink, Avalanche, Hedera, and Stellar also recorded growth ranging from 3% to 10%.
“Bitcoin is holding above $86,000, registering a 3% gain today. The key resistance level to watch is $86,700; a breakout could pave the way for $90,000,” said Vikram Subburaj, CEO of Giottus.
Bitcoin’s market capitalisation surged to $1.727 trillion, with dominance rising to 60.73%. Its 24-hour trading volume soared by 93% to $18.2 billion, while stablecoin transactions accounted for 94.74% of total crypto trading, reaching $57.58 billion, according to CoinMarketCap.
Solana Leads the Charge
Solana (SOL) emerged as a standout performer, surging over 7% in the past 24 hours to trade above $139.
The rally was fueled by reports suggesting that President Trump’s April 2 tariffs may be more targeted than initially feared, easing market concerns.
Solana’s momentum aligns with increasing adoption rates. DeFiLlama reported that Solana’s total value locked (TVL) reached 54.87 million SOL, its highest level since June 2022. Additionally, Ali Charts revealed that a record 11.09 million addresses now hold SOL, underscoring growing investor confidence.
Further supporting the bullish outlook, over $72 million in assets have recently been bridged from Ethereum to Solana. Solana’s weekly active addresses (17 million) now significantly exceed Ethereum’s (1.8 million), while Binance’s rising SOL wallet balances suggest fresh accumulation following recent selling activity.
Institutional Interest on the Rise
Institutional acceptance of Solana continues to grow, with Volatility Shares launching two Solana futures ETFs (SOLZ and SOLT) on Nasdaq on March 21.
Major asset managers, including Franklin Templeton and VanEck, have also applied for spot Solana ETFs, signalling increased interest in the cryptocurrency.
Meanwhile, BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes expressed optimism about Bitcoin’s trajectory, stating, “The Fed’s policy orientation could help Bitcoin achieve $110k before it retests $76.5k.”
With the crypto market gaining momentum, investors remain focused on key technical levels and macroeconomic developments that could shape future price movements.
The Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA) has unveiled the nominees for its highly anticipated 2025 edition, recognising outstanding achievements in African filmmaking, acting, and content creation.
The shortlist, released on Sunday night, features some of the most celebrated talents in the industry, with Uzor Arukwe and Omoni Oboli among the nominees. Uzor has been nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Suspicion, while Omoni secured a spot in the Best Supporting Actress category for Wives on Strike 3.
This year’s AMVCA will feature 28 categories, including both voting and non-voting awards, covering various aspects of filmmaking, from acting and directing to cinematography and digital content creation.
Top Contenders and Categories
The Best Supporting Actress category boasts a stellar lineup, including Meg Otanwa (Inside Life), Tina Mba (Suspicion), Ireti Doyle (All’s Fair in Love), and Mercy Aigbe (Farmer’s Bride), among others. Meanwhile, Best Supporting Actor nominees include Adedayo Adebowale Macaroni (Lisabi: The Uprising), Richard Mofe-Damijo (Christmas in Lagos), and Gabriel Afolayan (Inside Life).
In the leading categories, Best Lead Actress nominees include Bimbo Ademoye (Anikulapo: Rise of the Spectre), Chioma Akpotha (Seven Doors), and Hilda Dokubo (The Uprising: Wives on Strike 3). Best Lead Actor contenders include Femi Adebayo (Seven Doors), Stan Nze (Suspicion), and Gideon Okeke (Tokunbo).
Celebrating African Creativity
This year’s edition features an exciting mix of Indigenous Language Films, with nominations for Seven Doors (Femi Adebayo), Lisabi: The Uprising (Adedimeji Lateef and Adebimpe Oyebade Adedimeji), and Anikulapo: Rise of the Spectre (Kunle Afolayan). The Best Movie category sees strong competition from Lisabi: The Uprising, Skeleton Coast, Suspicion, and House of Ga’a.
Other notable categories include Best Director, where nominees such as Bolanle Austen-Peters (House of Ga’a), Norman Maake (Inkabi), and Robert O Peters (Skeleton Coast) will battle for the top honour. The Best Cinematography award features Inkabi, The Legend of the Vagabond Queen of Lagos, and Agemo.
Additionally, the AMVCA recognises digital content creators, with nominees including J
A police inspector, Effiong Bassey, has shot three people in Calabar, the Cross River State capital, leaving one dead and two others injured.
The Cross River State Police Command confirmed the incident in a statement on Sunday, describing it as tragic.
According to the Command’s spokesperson, Ugbo Irene, the shooting occurred in the early hours of Sunday at the Divisional Police Headquarters in Atakpa, Calabar.
She explained that Inspector Bassey had returned from his night duty at Ekondo Microfinance Bank when he began exhibiting abnormal behaviour.
“Inspector Bassey refused to hand over the AK-47 rifle he was assigned and instead proceeded to block the station’s gate, preventing anyone from entering or leaving the premises. Despite attempts at peaceful dialogue to resolve the situation, the officer’s actions escalated,” the statement read.
Tactical Units and patrol teams were then deployed to the scene. However, Bassey, suspected to be mentally unstable, opened fire on bystanders who had been instructed to leave the area.
“Tragically, three individuals were struck by the officer’s stray bullets, including Ijeoma Wilson Obot, a 41-year-old female, who later succumbed to her injuries. The other two victims, Charles Mkpang and another individual, are currently receiving medical treatment and are in stable condition,” the police said.
The officer was eventually subdued, disarmed, and taken into custody. He is now undergoing further investigation.
Concerned by the incident, the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 6 Headquarters, Calabar, along with the Cross River State Command Management Team, visited the hospital where the victims were receiving treatment. The AIG also made a donation to support their immediate care.
The Command assured residents that it was working with key stakeholders to prevent any escalation of tension in the community.
It further urged the victims’ families and the public to remain calm, pledging a thorough investigation into the incident.
“The Cross River State Police Command is committed to ensuring that justice, fairness, and equity prevail, and the outcome of the investigation will be made public in due course.
“We extend our deepest condolences to the family of the deceased and wish the injured a speedy recovery,” the statement added.
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