Job titles of the future: Space travel agent

Roman Chiporukha, co-owner of the luxury lifestyle firm Roman & Erica, has forged a new career as the "Expedia of the cosmos." With over two decades of experience orchestrating exclusive trips for the ultra-wealthy, Chiporukha's latest venture is SpaceVIP, a platform offering celestial experiences that blend culture, science, and purpose.

In 2018, Axiom Space sought three citizen explorers for a $50 million-per-person mission to the International Space Station (ISS), sparking Chiporukha's realization that space travel was no longer limited to professionals. To make space travel accessible, Chiporukha invested time in learning about commercial spaceflight and built SpaceVIP, a digital portal connecting adventurers with space operators like Axiom, Blue Origin, SpaceX, and Virgin Galactic.

As the bridge between dreamers and aerospace parameters, Chiporukha assists high-profile clients in securing premium upgrades and unique experiences, from suborbital flights to six-hour voyages aboard stratospheric balloons. Additionally, Chiporukha aims to inspire the next generation of space travelers through his nonprofit, the Space Prize Foundation, which runs science competitions for young women and underrepresented groups in STEM, offering winners zero-gravity flights and astronaut-training programs.

Chiporukha believes that making space travel more mainstream requires lowering costs and creating pathways into the industry, ensuring the future of space exploration belongs to a broader range of people.