Luxury space travel by balloon takes off: 600 people pay US$125,000 each for 2024 trips offering Wi-fi, a lounge bar and windows on Earth
- Space tourism has heavy hitters like Jeff Bezos-founded Blue Origin, Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic and Elon Musk’s SpaceX – now add Space Perspective
- The company promises tourists views of the Earth’s curvature from a luxury cabin suspended beneath a giant balloon, and at a price point far below its rivals
A new entrant in the space tourism market promises customers views of the Earth’s curvature from the comfort of a luxury cabin, lifted to the upper atmosphere with a giant balloon.
Space Perspective on April 12 revealed illustrations of its swish cabins, which it hopes to start launching from the Kennedy Space Centre, in Florida in the United States, from late 2024. More than 600 tickets have so far been sold, at US$125,000 each.
With windows 1.5 metres (five feet) high, deep seats, dark, purple tones and subdued lighting, the atmosphere contrasts with the white and sanitised capsules of its competitors.
Wi-fi connectivity and a drinks bar round out the Space Lounge inside the company’s Neptune capsule.
Whether it really constitutes space flight is a matter of debate. The balloon reaches an altitude of 20 miles (30km), much lower than rivals Virgin Galactic, which goes just over 50 miles high, or Blue Origin, which breaches the Karman Line, 62 miles above sea level and the internationally recognised space border.
