HouseWife has covered space tourism extensively, including hot-air balloon trips. The rise of startups offering high-altitude flights is driven by the topic’s huge popularity and the large number of people eager to take such journeys.
Recently, Florida-based Space Perspective showcased a test model of its space capsule “Neptune,” New Atlas reported.
Future space tourists first heard about Space Perspective in 2020, when the company announced plans for commercial stratospheric trips to 30,480 meters (100,000 feet) with groups of eight passengers and one pilot. The entire flight will last six hours. Passengers were promised panoramic views of Earth and the edge of space.
How will it work?
Passengers will ride in a pressurized capsule called “Neptune,” which will be attached to a hydrogen-filled balloon the size of a football stadium. It will take the capsule two hours to reach its maximum altitude. During the next two hours, tourists will experience the edge of space. Then, over the final two hours, the capsule will descend as gas is slowly released from the balloon. At the end of the flight, “Neptune” will land in the Atlantic Ocean.
The capsule will have comfortable seating, a snack bar, Wi-Fi with live-streaming capability, 360-degree panoramic windows, and a restroom below deck.
Space Perspective has scheduled its first tourist launch for late next year. The startup says it already has a long waiting list: it has reportedly sold 1,600 tickets at $125,000 each.
During the presentation, the developers didn’t show the promised cozy cabin; the demonstrator is intended only for test flights. The first test will be unmanned, and only after that will “Neptune” fly with a crew.
The company also said its team is nearing completion of the vessel Marine Spaceport Voyager, which will likely serve as the launch platform for tourists.
