Space tourism for the masses is a step closer. A new US-Russian project, Space Adventures, has brought the costs down to earth, making it available to anyone with a spare $US 200,000.

Space Adventures is a kind of orbital travel agency, sending paying customers to Russia, where they’re trained and rocketed into space.

Eric Anderson, CEO of Space Adventures, says the space tourism industry has been long looking for ways for people to enjoy space that are less expensive. And they managed to find an alternative to a costly mission to the International Space Station.

But this new trip’s designed as a mere taster – a chance to glimpse home from afar.

“You can’t really compare $US 30-40 million orbital flight which takes place for almost two weeks on the space station to a two-minute flight which just pokes above the atmosphere,” Eric Anderson said.

Nevertheless short weightlessness is an experience many would not grudge thousands of dollars.