Tourists who want to reach for the stars can now have lunch or dinner in the stratosphere, enjoying a view of Earth from an altitude of 25 kilometers.
In 2024, the French startup Zephalto will begin hosting Michelin-starred meals at the edge of space. Travelers will ascend to the stratosphere in the Céleste capsule, which is suspended in a hot air balloon.
The capsule’s design was created by Parisian architect Joseph Dirand.
From an altitude of 25 km, thrill-seekers will enjoy dishes from renowned chefs, sip fine wines, and admire the planet while listening to their favorite music. Those who prefer silence can relish the tranquility of the stratosphere.
Design of a capsule suspended from a hot air balloon.
€120,000 is certainly a lot, even compared with the most expensive lunch at a top French restaurant. But the organizers promise the trip is worth it: views of Earth, the Sun, and the stars that used to be available only to astronauts.
The capsule, with large panoramic windows and room for six passengers and two pilots, will ascend under a hot air balloon at about 4 m/s. The ascent, descent, and onboard dining experience will last six hours total—three hours for ascent and descent and three hours floating in the stratosphere.
As long as there is demand for space tours, there will be supply.
Initially Zephalto planned its first gastronomic flight for 2025. But demand pushed the schedule forward to late 2024. The startup aims to run 60 flights a year.
The company says there are no age restrictions and no special training required. Anyone comfortable flying on airplanes can travel in Céleste. The Daily Mail reported that the only thing passengers won’t experience is weightlessness.
Critics of suborbital rockets for space tourism have expressed concerns that their greenhouse-gas emissions could contribute more to global warming than aviation does. This criticism has focused on startups such as Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin and Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic. Meanwhile, Zephalto offers a lower-pollution alternative for reaching the stratosphere: a balloon filled with helium and hydrogen.
Zephalto isn’t the only company developing stratospheric balloon travel. Competitor Space Perspective, an American company, also plans to enter the space-tourism market next year.
