By Geoffrey Thomas
Published Sun Mar 20 2022
To gaze upon Earth from space – to take in the astounding views and vivid colors – is an unforgettable spectacle that astronauts call life-altering and it is now far more affordable with the Florida-based Space Perspective Neptune balloon project.
The company says it has reimagined space travel with the first manned test flight next year and passenger flights in 2024. It flew an unmanned test flight last June.
"Instead of rocketing away from the Earth at high velocity, you ascend on a gentle, yet thrilling journey and look back at our planet from an entirely new perspective.
"Your six-hour voyage on Spaceship Neptune is safe and comfortable, with minimal physical requirements and as simple as boarding an airplane. Launching from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center and flown gently by a space balloon instead of rockets, a ride on the zero-emissions Spaceship Neptune offers the thrill of space and the comfort of calm. Spaceship Neptune comprises the capsule, SpaceBalloon, and reserve descent system," says Space Perspectives.
Space Perspective says the experience will be totally different from being shot into space in a rocket with no gravity issues, a toilet, bar, and wi-fi to send pictures to your friends.
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Space Perspective is led by industry luminaries Jane Poynter and Taber MacCallum and their unique in-the-world expert crew who have been integral to all human SpaceBalloon flights in the last 50 years.
SEE an interview with Jane Poynter here.
Building on that experience, Space Perspective says its crew "has innovated and patented the safest SpaceBalloon technology in the world."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzAFD9rpRhE
Space Perspective is building a campus on the Space Coast Spaceport site for their capsule and balloon manufacturing facility, laboratories, and operations infrastructure from launch to mission control.
It is investing more than US$38 million in new construction and high-value equipment and tooling, including the US$9 million, 120,000 square foot manufacturing building slated to be fully operational this year. The investment will also spur the creation of approximately 240 full-time permanent jobs by the end of 2026.
Commercial flights are targeted to begin in late 2024, with more than 500 tickets sold to date. With the first year of seats completely reserved, Space Perspective is currently taking reservations for 2025 and beyond.
Tickets are priced at US$125,000 per person, and bookings are made with a fully refundable deposit beginning at US$1,000. Entire capsules are also available for reservations (up to eight guests and a pilot). Space Perspective’s human spaceflight launches are regulated by the FAA Office of Commercial Spaceflight.
About Space Perspective: Space Perspective is the world’s first luxury spaceflight experience company. It invites more people than has historically been possible to experience a thrillingly new and visceral perspective that expands the human consciousness – the incredibly exhilarating panoramas and scale of Earth in space. The Observer cited Space Perspective as “the best suborbital space tourism offering in the world.”
Setting a new bar in out-of-this-world thrilling experiences, as soon as late 2024 Space Perspective plans to take Space Explorers to space inside Spaceship Neptune’s pressurized capsule propelled by a high-performance SpaceBalloon without using rocket fuel or high G forces. Space Explorers see the world anew through its vast windows, 450 miles in any direction. The ultra-comfortable, accessible, and gentle six-hour journey redefines space travel.
