Author: Sean Cullen, Lecturer in Engineering Manufacturing, College of Engineering, Design and Physical Sciences, Brunel University of London

In the past, spaceflight was the preserve of government-funded astronauts who had to meet stringent physical, cognitive, psychological and social requirements for selection. But in recent years, that has all been changing. In September 2024, two non-professional astronauts completed the first privately funded spacewalk, using the Crew Dragon spacecraft built by Elon Musk’s company SpaceX. Meanwhile, Houston-based private company Axiom Space is conducting regular flights to the International Space Station (ISS), carrying a mixture of government-funded astronauts and paying customers. In the last few years, nearly 100 people have become private astronauts through the space tourism companies Blue Origin, operated…