The era of commercial space tourism is rapidly expanding with big players like SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Virgin Galactic already offering paid trips to space for eager customers. However, there are new startups emerging in this market, such as Zephalto, Space Perspective, and World View, that are looking to take tourists on a unique journey to the stratosphere using pressurized capsules and massive gas-filled balloons.
Unlike traditional space missions that take passengers all the way into space, these balloon rides will only ascend to heights between 15 to 19 miles above the earth’s surface, which is known as the stratosphere. According to Ryan Hartman, the CEO of World View, the capsule is designed to accommodate eight customers and two crew members, complete with a central bar and onboard facilities like a bathroom.
While the U.S. government considers the boundary of space to be around 50 miles above the earth’s surface, Jane Poynter, the co-CEO of Space Perspective, argues that there is no universal definition of space. She believes that going over 98,000 feet classifies the capsule as a spaceship, as it is essentially traversing a vacuum above 99% of Earth’s atmosphere, where the sky appears deep black.
Unlike rocket-powered space tourism, the experience provided by these stratospheric balloon rides is more akin to being on an airplane, without the sensation of weightlessness. Vincent Farret d’Astiès, the founder and chief pilot at Zephalto, emphasizes that these balloon rides are accessible to anyone who can board a standard plane, with no special physical requirements necessary.
According to reports from the companies, there has been significant consumer interest in these space tourism ventures. While World View has sold 1,250 tickets and Space Perspective has sold 1,800 tickets, Zephalto has not disclosed its ticket sales but mentioned that its initial flights were fully booked. Ticket prices vary across the companies, ranging from $50,000 per seat with World View to $184,000 with Zephalto, and $125,000 per seat with Space Perspective.
Despite the promising start, there are still challenges and tests that lie ahead for these companies. Zephalto is the only one that has conducted crewed tests so far, albeit not at the desired altitude of 15 miles above the earth’s surface. Commercial service is still in the works for all three companies, with uncertainties surrounding the actual launch date.
The landscape of commercial space flight is evolving with the introduction of new players offering unique experiences for space tourists. While there are still hurdles to overcome, the potential for expanding this market and making space travel more accessible to the general public is undeniable. Only time will tell how successful these ventures will be and what the future holds for commercial space tourism.
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