Space Adventures, a pioneer in space tourism, has announced two new civilian missions to the International Space Station (ISS), building on its legacy since 2009. The first features a Russian actress and director, while the second includes a Japanese billionaire and his production assistant.
Founded as an American space tourism specialist, Space Adventures made history from 2001 to 2009 by facilitating seven private trips to the ISS via rented seats on Russian Soyuz capsules. These opportunities paused after the U.S. Space Shuttle program's retirement, as NASA relied on Russian vehicles, leaving no spare seats for civilians.
The landscape has shifted significantly. NASA now transports astronauts using U.S. crew vehicles, with SpaceX leading via Crew Dragon and Boeing's Starliner on the horizon. This has freed up seats in Russian Soyuz capsules once more, allowing Space Adventures to resume operations.
On May 13, Space Adventures revealed details for the Soyuz MS-19 mission, launching October 5. Russian actress Yulia Peresild and director Klim Shipenko will join cosmonaut Anton Shkaplerov for a dozen days on the ISS to film scenes for "Vyzov" ("The Challenge"), a Roscosmos co-production.
Peresild and Shipenko will return via the docked Soyuz MS-18 with cosmonaut Oleg Novitsky.
Yulia Peresild edged out competitors; actress Alena Mordovina trains as backup, and pilot Galina Kairova is preparing for potential professional cosmonaut status with Roscosmos.
Simultaneously announced was Soyuz MS-20, carrying billionaire Yusaku Maezawa—a fashion mogul and art collector set for SpaceX's Starship lunar mission in 2023—alongside production assistant Yozo Hirano and cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin. They too will spend about a dozen days on the ISS.
