I told you about Space Perspective in this post way back (no, it's not far away: but I swear, it seems like it) June 2020. This is a new business in the field of space tourism, a sort of "space hotel" that offers customers a bird's eye view of the planet from the comfort of luxurious cabins that are carried into space by a large balloon.
Now Space Perspective has shown the first images of its cabins, which it hopes to start launching from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida from the end of 2024. All already booked. Sold out. A mass membership for over 600 tickets at around 125.000 euros each. A nice nest egg or not?
How the cabins of Space Perspective are made
With 1 meter (five foot) high windows, deep seats, dark and purple tones and soft lighting, the atmosphere is very different from that of the white and metallic space capsules we are used to seeing today.
A drink bar, a wi-fi connection that never fails and the "Space Lounge" is served, ready for its space flight. Or something very close to it.
Oh yes, because these "hot air balloon" cabins reach a height of about 30 kilometers (20 miles). It's much less than Virgin Galactic (over 70 kilometers, 50 miles) or Blue Origin, which with its 100 kilometers high (62 miles) reaches internationally recognized borders.
Di SpaceX it is useless to speak: they are beyond. In all senses.
Really nice to see
On balance, however, 30 kilometers is still much, much higher than the routes of commercial aircraft flying less than half this height.
“We are above 99% of the Earth's atmosphere,” the co-founder points out Jayne Poynter, meaning passengers will truly see the inky blackness of space.
And it will be a lot of stuff, also because no particular training is needed: the climb is "gentle" (19 kilometers per hour, 12 miles per hour) and even sustainable, at least so says Space Perspective, because it will use much less fuel and all from renewable sources.
What more do you want from these cabins for 6 hours of travel? (Two to go up, two to glide, 2 to go down complete with a splashdown in the ocean).
And the absence of gravity?
I told you. At these prices you can't expect more. “We wanted to find a format that would really change the way people think about spaceflight,” Poynter said. Which means fat, nada, nichts, nothing, ничего, 没有, rien, なし, nothing (I wanted to pay homage to the 9 versions in which this blog is translated).
For those who have already booked their cabins: lucky you! For those who have not yet booked (and can afford it): here you will find more information. Have a good trip!
For everyone else: enjoy (at least) the gallery. In the end, the drinks won't even be who knows what.
