Space Perspective, a luxury space travel company, unveiled the patent-pending Spaceship Neptune capsule design now in production at the company’s campus near its operations center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, Florida.
Space Perspective, which claims to have developed the only carbon neutral way to travel to space, said it has performed thousands of virtual flight tests, simulations and analysis runs with technology from Siemens Digital Industries and AWS. The company's spacecraft features a spherical exterior for providing 360-degree panoramic views through what it called the largest-ever, patented windows to be taken to the edge of space. The proprietary splash cone ensures Spaceship Neptune’s ocean landing is gentle and safe. A Space Perspective crew will retrieve passengers, the capsule, and the SpaceBalloon by ship.
The company said it will begin commercial flights from the end of 2024 for its climate-controlled, pressurized capsule, propelled by a patented SpaceBalloon. The six-hour round trip accommodates anybody who can board an airplane, the company said.
“Centuries of balloon and parachute operation and development demonstrate that always flying with the balloon from launch through landing, with traditional parachutes as a reserve backup system, is by far the simplest, safest and most robust solution. Our proprietary flight system means that the capsule and SpaceBalloon™ always remain connected, and take-off and landing conditions are always within our control. The team has come together to create an amazingly robust, safe, and incredibly elegant and luxurious system for Spaceship Neptune. Simplicity and automation are the keys to safety,” said Taber MacCallum, Founder, Co-CEO and CTO of Space Perspective.
“Centuries of balloon and parachute operation and development demonstrate that always flying with the balloon from launch through landing, with traditional parachutes as a reserve backup system, is by far the simplest, safest and most robust solution. Our proprietary flight system means that the capsule and SpaceBalloon always remain connected, and take-off and landing conditions are always within our control. The team has come together to create an amazingly robust, safe, and incredibly elegant and luxurious system for Spaceship Neptune. Simplicity and automation are the keys to safety,” said Taber MacCallum, Founder, Co-CEO and CTO of Space Perspective.
Manufacturing of Spaceship Neptune has already begun with 100,000 square feet of facilities, 300,000 square feet of dedicated testing apron area, and operations centre at the NASA KSC Shuttle Landing Facility. With almost 900 tickets sold to date and the purchase of entire capsules for eight commercial flights are targeted to begin in late 2024. Space Perspective is currently taking reservations for 2025 and beyond. Tickets are priced $125,000 per person, and bookings are made with a fully refundable deposit beginning at $1,000 (customers can also book and pay online via crypto).
