Passengers will be able to visit space in 2024 via Space Perspective, a US-based “luxury spaceflight experience company.”
The company has devised a massive balloon titled Spaceship Neptune, which reportedly has the size of a football stadium.
Spaceship Neptune will take guests on a six-hour “radically gently voyage” to the edge of the atmosphere and back. The shop will return to Earth with a water landing, after which a ship will pick up passengers and the capsule.
Last week, it was reported that Space Perspective unveiled the MS Voyager – a Marine Spaceport for human spaceflight.
“Spaceports are sites for launching and receiving spacecraft. Now with the capacity to launch from marine-based sites around the world, in addition to launching from land on Florida’s Space Coast, Space Perspective becomes the first global space travel experience company, offering safe and sustainable journeys to the edge of space from where Explorers live and play,” the company said in a statement.
Passengers travelling into space will depart in the eight-seater balloon from Space Coast Air and Spaceport, located across NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
Guests on the spaceship can also record their experience in real-time by connecting to Wi-Fi. Passengers aboard will also be able to see a 360-degree view of the Earth, whilst sitting in a cosy pressurised lounge.
The lounge is built using sustainable materials. Keying in the sustainability factor, Spaceship Neptune will be the only carbon-neutral, zero-emission way to visit space when it launches in 2024.
“Our mission is to inspire Space Explorers to connect more closely with our planet and each other, and the environment in which they travel with us is central to this. Our Space Lounge is a world away from the white, utilitarian environments you find in other spacecraft,” Space Perspective’s founder and chief experience officer Jane Poynter said.
Space Perspective’s human spaceflight launches are regulated by the FAA Office of Commercial Spaceflight.
Features of the capsule
According to Space Perspective’s website, the capsule will feature the following:
- Arced, deep, reclining seats, which maximise the ability for Space Explorers to enjoy both the vista and each other, can be reconfigured to accommodate a more intimate dinner for two or special event
- Lightweight, dark and tactile sustainable materials throughout its interior to reduce glare and reflection
- Food and beverage service capabilities, including a bar top handcrafted using pellets formed by re-purposing the pioneering recyclable material from Space Perspective’s SpaceBalloons
- The capsule’s centre is kept free to ensure that group photography (Wi-Fi is also available in-flight) can easily be accommodated. Stretching out and walking around is also straightforward
- Customizable mood lighting, including low red LED lights, ensure Space Explorers will absorb the dramatic sights of witnessing dawn, planet Earth, and stars above in space – while easily navigating their way around the Space Lounge
- A telescope and interactive screens – including an overhead ‘donut’ scrolling display to share key information as the journey unfolds
- Tasteful decorations include floor lamps, plants and herbs such as lavender, basil and rosemary, which are used in food and drink prep. The plants remind us of the interconnected nature of our planet
- A luxurious restroom featuring huge windows, so Space Explorers never miss incredible views.
In addition, the team at Space Perspective is also looking at ways to customise passenger journeys to suit their reasons for travel.
“I am beyond excited about advising Space Perspective on the Space Lounge experience – we really want to make this transformative. The world-class team at Space Perspective is on a mission to change people’s perception of what adventure travel can be. We have so many ideas on how we can customize the journey – from birthday celebrations and corporate getaways to creating seminal moments that will capture the imaginations of all,” Space Perspective’s experience curator David Grutman said.
Echoing Grutman’s sentiment, Taber MacCallum – Space Perspective’s fellow founder, co-chief executive officer and chief technology officer – said, “our world-class expert crew, who have been integral to all human SpaceBalloon flights in the last 50 years, trialled hundreds of layouts and we’ve secured a patent for our structural engineering, with two design patents pending.”
MacCallum added: “The quintessential spaceflight experience is a shared human experience, and we are super proud of this significant milestone as we move full steam ahead towards commercial flight.”
Booking tickets
Space Perspective has opened bookings for flights into space since 2021, costing $125,000. According to the company website, 1,000 tickets have been sold so far.
“With the first year of seats completely reserved, Space Perspective is currently taking reservations for 2025 and beyond,” the company said.
Bookings for individual seats can also be made with a “fully refundable deposit beginning at $1,000” using cryptocurrency. “Entire capsules are also available for reservations (up to eight guests and a pilot),” the statement said.
Special bookings for the first 25 flights, called Legacy Explorers, are also available.
Passengers can book tickets to reserve seats via the company’s official website.
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