The richest of the rich are blasting themselves into space for no reason outside the simple fact that they can afford to do so. A quick reprieve from the burdens of gravity for a smooth $28 million or so is just too good to pass up.
The reality of space travel is much less glamorous than it sounds, though, a fact some billionaires recently found out on their trip to the International Space Station. Four “private astronauts” (read: rich civilians with no space-faring experience) flew on a SpaceX craft to the ISS last month for an eight-day stay, with the intention of completing some tasks on the station before returning home.
