When it comes to luxury travel, SpaceVIP is pushing the boundaries by offering an unprecedented experience – a $495,000 dining journey to the edge of space. As space tourism becomes increasingly accessible, discerning travellers from the UAE and beyond are showing a keen interest in this unique adventure that blends gastronomy, art, and the awe-inspiring view of Earth from above.
Luxury space travel company SpaceVIP has partnered with Danish chef Rasmus Munk from the award-winning restaurant Alchemist to host a six-hour dining experience to the edge of space. Despite the hefty price tag, SpaceVIP has seen surging demand. Since announcing the space expedition earlier this spring, many potential customers have already asked where they can sign up.
“We were actually surprised at how much interest there is in this experience. We probably have half a dozen people with a very serious interest, and it’s all pending their flight,” said Roman Chiporukha, founder of SpaceVIP.
“There’s also been great interest from the UAE when we first launched this initiative. There is tremendous excitement in the MENA region as a whole as people are very interested in learning about space and why it is important.”
The journey aboard Spaceship Neptune
The journey will take place aboard Space Perspective’s Spaceship Neptune, a pressurised capsule carried by a high-tech space balloon to Earth’s stratosphere. Travellers won’t be exposed to uncomfortable G-forces or require special space training beforehand, making the experience one of the most accessible entry points into space.
“Eventually, [these] flights to space will become as easy as taking a first-class or commercial flight,” Chiporukha noted. With Space Perspective’s most recent test flight completed earlier last month, the pressurised capsule is well on track to start taking its first space explorers by the second half of 2025.
What to expect on the journey
Unlike traditional space capsules, Space Perspective’s Neptune capsule is more like an uber-luxurious club lounge, complete with custom recliners, a space spa, a bar, and large windows for viewing. According to Space Perspective, it’s “the roomiest interior of any human spaceflight capsule ever made,” claiming it’s roughly four times the size of SpaceX’s Crew Dragon and twice as large as Blue Origin’s New Shepard and Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo.
In terms of altitude, the Neptune capsule can reach a maximum altitude of 100,000 feet above sea level – high enough to show travellers the curvature of the planet and allow them to experience the overview effect. Explorers will take off at a speed of 12 mph before reaching the top, where they will dine and experience the sunrise over the Earth’s curvature – an experience which only 650 space travellers can claim to have witnessed. Travellers will also have Wi-Fi on board and are welcome to livestream their experience and connect with friends and family on Earth during their flight.
Flexible launch locations
The initial launch will take place off the coast of Florida from a boat, which provides flexibility for future launches from other destinations. “Launching off a boat gives maximum flexibility to go to other regions. You can take the boat to Monaco, the GCC, or anywhere there’s water…which I think is a structure that can become economically viable and has potential to proliferate,” Chiporukha explained.
Culinary delights in space
While the menu is yet to be finalised, 32-year-old chef Rasmus Munk shared that he wants the dishes to be innovative like the journey itself, inspired by the role of space exploration during the last 60 years of human history.
“My ambition is to blend gastronomy with art and science to create awareness about social and environmental issues. In this experience, I want to highlight food as a common thread in our human existence, and it will be truly meaningful to serve it while gazing down at the Earth’s curvature,” Munk noted.
Space tourism: An untapped market
The space tourism market holds great potential. However, as an evolving industry, SpaceVIP founder notes that basic knowledge about space is still lacking.
“Once people understand the value of space innovation and the concept of space-for-Earth, they will want to spend more money on these types of experiences,” Chiporukha explained.
“The space tourism market is in the same place as the aviation industry 100 years ago. When the aeroplane was invented, taking a flight was initially very expensive, but now you can fly to London for $500 on an economy flight. It’s economies of scale, and we see the same happening within the space travel market as well.”
Although commercial space travel has typically been associated with billionaire-led rocket companies aiming for suborbital trips, other companies are also entering the market. With the global space economy expected to grow by $1.8 trillion by 2035, driven by increased satellite communications, space technology, and defence, it is only natural that space travel will follow suit.
SpaceVIP’s culinary ‘odyssey to the cosmos’ is just one step in the beginning of commercial space travel. As Chiporukha explained, “SpaceVIP will continue to promote the transformative power of space travel as a way to elevate human consciousness and shape the course of our collective evolution.”
“Once [space] becomes important to people, it spreads like wildfire to other communities…so you need to create that sort of chain. It kind of becomes inspirational and aspirational,” Chiporukha concluded.
Supporting women in STEM
The proceeds of the trip will be directed to the Space Prize Foundation, which SpaceVIP established to promote women in STEM education and gender equity in the space economy.
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