American astronaut Alan Shepard made a suborbital flight later that year, and John Glenn became the first American to orbit Earth in 1962.

CNN: Reports: Monkey soars from Iran into space -- and back

More than 70% surveyed would spend two weeks or less on a suborbital tourism flight and 88% were interested in spacewalking.

BBC: Are people really interested in space tourism?

Financial backer of SpaceShipOne, first to launch private flight into suborbital space.

FORBES: Source: Microsoft, investments

Yet to be demonstrated is the hoped-for flight rates of suborbital vehicles.

MSN: Suborbital spaceships spark scientific frenzy