Ordinary folks want to travel to other states and countries. Meanwhile, the super-rich who have probably tired of planet Earth are looking upwards – to space – for their next holiday destination. Even among the rich, not everyone bears to part with US$450,000 for a trip to the stratosphere, and also not everyone fancy being hurled at the speed of sound in order to reach the edge of space. Enters Space Perspective.
The Florida-based “space travel” company plans to take anyone who is willing to drop US$125,000 up to 100,000 feet (30.48 kilometers/18.9 miles) for a suborbital adventure without being hurled through the air. You’d be doing so in a pressurized capsule, called Spaceship Nepture, suspended from a ginormous high-tech version of a hot-air balloon.
Wait. Didn’t we hear about this nearly 10 years ago? Oh, right. Back in 2013, World View have the same pitch and it will start ferrying folks to the edge of space in 2024 for US$50,000 (that’s 25K lesser than the original price, btw). Even more interesting is that the two founders of Space Perspective were two of the founders of World View.
Inside the capsule, it’d feel like a first-class onboard of an A380. Space travelers will be treated to reclining seats, and a well-stocked bar while bathing in mood lighting. WiFi will be available too, so you can live stream your experience or make your epic TikTok videos.
Meanwhile, the capsule offers curious travelers a panoramic view of the darkness and the little blue marble through “the largest ever, patented windows to be taken to the edge of the space.” The temperatures of the interior will be kept comfortable through a patent-pending thermal control system as well as reflective coating on the windows, similar to an astronaut’s helmet.
Once done, the capsule will return to Earth and safely on the water by the virtue of gravity, in a controlled manner, of course. Space Perspective anticipates starting to bring groups of up to eight passengers on a six-hour trip to the edge of space by the end of 2024.
The time is inclusive of a two-hour “gentle ascent”. Travelers will spend two hours admiring the views before making a 2-hour descent to the ocean where a ship will be there to bring them to shore.
In case anyone’s wondering, the high-tech version of the hot air balloon will be filled with hydrogen that will allow the capsule to float to the top of the Earth’s atmosphere “like an ice cube on water.”
Apparently, almost 900 tickets were already sold for the first flights. Tickets can still be booked but they are now for 2025 and beyond. Space Perspective recently unveiled a new patented capsule design.
Images: Space Perspective.
via CNN.
