Arriving at the space station Saturday are an American, a Canadian and an Israeli who run investment, real estate and other companies.
Russia has been hosting tourists at the space station — and before that the Mir station — for decades.
NASA’s Kathy Lueders, head of space operations, said there’s a lot to learn from this first wholly private station visit.
The three businessmen are the latest to take advantage of the opening of space to those with deep pockets.
Friday‘s flight is the second private charter for Elon Musk’s SpaceX, which took a billionaire and his guests on a three-day orbit ride last year.
After about five years, the company plans to detach its compartments to form a self-sustaining station — one of several commercial outposts intended to replace the space station once it’s retired and NASA shifts to the moon.
As a gift for their seven station hosts, the four visitors are taking up paella and other Spanish cuisine prepared by celebrity chef José Andrés.
Only the second Israeli in space, Stibbe will continue a thunderstorm experiment begun by the first — Ilan Ramon, who died aboard shuttle Columbia in 2003.