It doesn't take that much money or technology to launch someone into space. Any of us could do it with a few million dollars.
Getting the launchee back alive - now that's what takes money and skill.
Reminds me of a story (aprocryphal I’m sure) of when Yuri Gagarin went up into space.
The story goes that Sergei Korolev, the brains behind the Soviet space program, approached Colonel Gagarin and asked him if he’d like to be the first man in space....for the glory of the motherland and Leninism, all that jazz. Gagarin said, of course he’d volunteer. After Korolev described to him how the launch process and orbiting the earth, etc., would work, he asked Gagarin if he had any additional questions. To which Colonel Gagarin replied, “Yes, Comrade, I do. How will I get back?” It is said that Korolev replied, “Don’t worry about that, Comrade Colonel. As soon as we have that figured out, you’ll be the first to know.”