Space tourism just got a lot more enticing. RSC Energia and Space Adventures, Inc. this week signed a contract for a short-duration spaceflight to the ISS—with an exciting twist: One mission participant will get to conduct a spacewalk, becoming the first private citizen to experience open space.

The candidate will, of course, be required to complete specialized training and simulations in preparation for the excursion, currently scheduled for 2023. Launching in a Russian Soyuz spacecraft, the lucky explorer will bunk in the Russian segment of the ISS for 14 days, and, together with a professional Roscosmos astronaut, will venture into outer space for extravehicular activities.

"A private citizen completing a spacewalk would be another huge step forward in private spaceflight," according to Eric Anderson, CEO of D.C.-based Space Adventures, which offers zero-gravity atmospheric flights, orbital space flights, and other cosmic experiences.

In 1965, Alexei Leonov became the first human to perform a spacewalk; nearly 20 years later, Bruce McCandless II took the first untethered EVA during the Space Shuttle Challenger mission in 1984. In total, astronauts from 11 countries have completed more than 210 spacewalks, compared to the mere 12 people who walked on the Moon.

"We appreciate the chance to celebrate two decades of orbital space tourism with our Russian partners by opening up another first-ever experience," Anderson said in a statement. "We applaud our colleagues at Energia for working with us to create amazing new adventures in space." Together, RSC Energia and Space Adventures have crowned seven space tourists, including Dennis Tito (2001), Greg Olsen (2006), Anyusha Ansari (2006), Richard Garriott (2008), and Charles Simoni (2007 and 2009) from the US.

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