WASHINGTON — Fifty years ago, fueled by a fascination with space exploration, the Soviet Union launched the Sputnik satellite into the great unknown from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, igniting the Space Race and the interest in all things space-age.

Today, you can sign up to get shot into space like that small, silver orb, from that very same cosmodrome, through Space Adventures Ltd., a Vienna, Va.-based company specializing in space tourism. For $55 million, you'll spend 16 days aboard the International Space Station and become one of the first private citizens to walk among the stars.

Not ready for G-forces or dehydrated ice cream? There's plenty of sleek, space-age styling for those with feet firmly planted on the ground.

Glass designer Arik Levy's "Mistic" vase-cum-candle holder for Gaia & Gino, winner of the 2006 Design Plus Award, is made with Pyrex for a futuristic laboratory feel. Nuevo Living's retro "sputnik" chandelier, however, takes inspiration from the rocket decor of the late 1950s.

Then there's the Stanley Kubrick-meets-James Dean motorcycle jacket by Dolce & Gabbana. The Italian design duo outfitted their men for the moon in iridescent and silver ensembles, for a futuristic fall collection crowned by metallic-glazed space suits.

Or don the real thing for your Space Adventures trip, although, like your usual big-ticket luxury purchase, there's a waiting list.