• Uwe Apel

The potential market for space tourism and its development depends not only on the number of people who are willing to travel to space and who have also the money to do so but also on the physical and mental ability for space travel of the interested people.

Thus, human health with respect to space tourism and human factors influencing the number of people interested in space travel will be addressed. Furthermore, some key design aspects of the transportation and space infrastructure, which are related to the health and comfort of the space tourists will be discussed.

Starting with the principle health requirements for space tourists in terms of fitness and age, the potential health risks will be described and evaluated. Key design parameters, which must be taken into account to minimise the risks and maximise the comfort for a space tourist are described and discussed.

The analysis and discussion shows that the majority of the people who are interested in space travel will be able to enjoy their trip providing that the whole space tourism infrastructure (transportation system and space hotels) is designed properly. Potential health risks associated with space tourism are not more severe as for comparable tourist activities.