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It is easy to write off private astronauts as “space tourists”, wealthy yahoos wasting their money for a pinnacle life experience. But that would be wrong.

As I wrote in my book Explore/Create, most of us who have paid to fly into orbit have been part of the commercial space industry since its inception, and have been helping its development far beyond simply stumping up for the ride.

Many were involved with the Ansari X Prize, which led to the creation of the first privately funded space vehicle, SpaceShipOne (now hanging in the lobby of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington DC), and in turn to more than $100 million of investments in new space technologies.

Anousheh Ansari, the primary sponsor, went on to fly to the International Space Station (ISS), becoming the first Muslim woman in space. She remains a champion of commercial space travel.

I co-founded Space Adventures, which has flown all seven private individuals who went to the ISS. The first, Dennis Tito,  a former scientist at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, worked for years to help commercialise human space flight before his journey.

When I flew, I was scheduled down to the minute to perform fundamental science and medical experiments. These have helped advance space medicine and even helped ensure that new astronauts can undergo procedures such as laser corrective eye surgery and still fly, as I did.

Onwards and upwards

So this week’s announcement by SpaceX founder Elon Musk that he aims to fly two private astronauts round the moon next year is not something to be decried. It is a reflection of the fact that we are well and truly in a new era of privately funded space exploration, more than half a century since humanity first launched itself from the surface of our tiny planet.

We are now seeing private investments in technology and expeditions that will radically reduce the cost of space access. This will in turn increase flight frequency, improve safety and open up the unlimited bounty of the cosmos to the US and the world. Private astronauts have played their part, and will continue to do so.

The desire of these voyagers to go into space is far from unusual: a . That means most of those who can afford to go would also want to. Thanks to the new commercial era, thousands can now afford it.

While a few may go purely for the adventure, many, like me, will go to purposefully contribute to the new golden age of space exploration in any way they can. And all will play a part in opening new frontiers and helping to drive down cost, as well as increasing safety and expanding opportunities for the future.

I spent most of my net worth to make my first trip off the planet and had to have surgery to pass medical qualifications, but it was well worth it.

Although the possible $150 million price tag for the circumlunar flight is steep today, I have faith that we will all be able to travel to space as easily as hopping on a flight in the near future. And ask yourself, if you were able to go to space today, wouldn’t you?