Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Richard Branson – the race to make space tourism accessible is more and more heating up. By now, everyone will have heard of the rocket concepts of these three founders. However, there is even more competition on the horizon and Space Perspective has just released their version of flying to space. It doesn’t involve any rocket technology. A giant balloon will carry a capsule up to 100,000 ft into space. The total trip will take 6h to complete.
It will essentially be the world’s only carbon-neutral spaceship. The balloon is propelled by renewable hydrogen and rises at 12 mph. The capsule is also equipped with four parachutes that can take over instantaneously in the event of an emergency with the balloon. The capsule features nine reclining seats, each offering 360° views and can also be reconfigured for special events such as a dinner for two. It is equipped with a refreshment bar, Wi-Fi connection and live-streaming devices. The lounge area is spacious enough to stand in and move freely and enjoy a cocktail or two.
Your journey will start at the Kennedy Space Center and include a behind-the-scenes tour of the facility. From there the balloon will take you to space while the pilot will provide insights and answer questions you may have. The journey is highly customizable: the menu, the cocktails, even the lighting and sound system. After enjoying 2h in space, you will make your descent which takes another 2h. The capsule will gently splash down in the ocean before being quickly picked up by a ship which will return you to the launch site.
Space Perspective plans the first commercial space flights for late 2024. Each ticket will cost you $125,000. You can already make a reservation for the tickets which will require a $1,000 deposit. But for that price, you truly get a unique experience – only around 600 people have ever been to space.
Images courtesy of Space Perspective
