The age of commercial passenger space flight is upon us. Efforts by companies like SpaceX, Blue Origin, Boeing and Virgin Galactic aim to put paying individuals in space. The International Space Station expects to receive its first private crew early next year during the Axiom Mission 1, with the three tourists paying a sum of $55 million each to stay at the space station for eight days.
As the potential for private space travel grows, it’s only natural to wonder: What if something goes wrong? With more chances to send people into space comes greater potential for mishaps. In the time since we figured out how to launch humans into space, 18 people have died. Although it's pretty much impossible to find a working astronaut with a serious health issue, the case is not the same for tourists, especially if those tourists are older.
