Space Perspective Capsules Are Being Made And Launched In Florida

Space tourism is getting larger and slightly more affordable thanks to a new player in the market. Space Perspective’s upcoming Spaceship Neptune capsule will soon take travelers high above our planet with the help of balloons manufactured in the Sunshine State.

The Orlando Sentinel reports that Space Perspective‘s massive space-faring dirigibles are being produced at the newly opened Seely SpaceBalloon Factory in Titusville, on Florida’s west coast. The facility opened this week with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The Co-Chief Executive Officer of Space Perspective, Jane Poynter, had this to say about the company’s latest step, “Today marks a significant and exciting milestone for Space Perspective and the entire commercial space industry. We are leveraging balloon technology used for generations to create our carbon-neutral spaceflight experience.”

Space Perspective expects to launch the first ride in Spaceship Neptune’s Space Lounge before the end of 2024. However, the trip’s price is not aimed at your average person. The six-hour ride to 100,000′ above the planet is costly.

A single visit 19 miles above the Earth will run you $125,000. The expedition includes two hours of lift, two hours floating across the state of Florida, and then the same amount of time lowering to the Gulf of Mexico. Once the craft has splashed down, a sea vessel will pick you up.

This once-in-a-lifetime journey requires a $1k deposit, and reservations are being taken now at Space Perspective’s official site.

Interestingly, the article points out that passengers on Space Perspective’s Spaceship Neptune won’t experience the sensation of weightlessness. I figured that would be one of the selling points.

Thanks to the slow rate at which the ship ascends and descends, travelers won’t feel much. The ride is more about the calm experience of defying gravity rather than the intense thrills.

[Source: Orlando Sentinel]

[Source Space Perspective]