Soyuz flight prices to rise

Lost in the news last week about the SS2 unveiling, Ansari’s return to Earth, and the formation of another space tourism company was this little tidbit from Russia: the Russian space agency Roskosmos plans to increase the price it charges for commercial passengers on Soyuz flights. The price will go up nine percent, from $20 million to $21.8 million. A Roskosomos official blamed good ol’ inflation for the increase, saying that the cost of spacecraft components have gone up “dramatically” over the past two years. What tourists themselves will pay, though, is unclear: according to Roskosmos, “each tourist flight deal is discussed individually and is considered a commercial secret.”