Since 2001 seven people have become space tourists.

Dennis Tito, a US entrepreneur, was the first space tourist, in 2001. He was followed by South African entrepreneur and Ubuntu Linux creator Mark Shuttleworth in 2002. Shuttleworth was followed by Gregory Olsen, another US entrepreneur in 2005. Anousheh Ansari (of Ansari X-Prize fame) was the first female space tourist and the first Iranian in 2006. Microsoft billionaire Charles Simonyi is the only repeat customer, flying in both 2007 and 2009, holding the record for the most days spent aboard at 27 days. Computer game developer Richard Garriott was the first Brit in 2008. The most recent space tourist is Guy Laliberté, the French Canadian creator of Cirque du Soleil who returned on October 8th 2009 after a 9-day stint aboard the ISS.