The space industry is already shaping the future of luxury tourism

23-11-23

• Luxury capsules for flights over the edge of the stratosphere for $127,000: high-flying luxury tourism

Space tourism is closer than ever to becoming a reality thanks to the development work on new recoverable propulsion systems being carried out by companies like SpaceX, and the efforts to lower costs by Blue Origin or Virgin Galactic, which have already taken the first tourists to the space limit.

However, traveling in one of these spacecraft has little glamour and, for whatever reason, millionaires prefer to see the curvature of the earth while enjoying a relaxing bath in a Jacuzzi or while tasting the dishes that a Michelin-starred chef has prepared for them. High-flying tourism, in short.

No ships, the future of space tourism is balloons. When Felix Baumbargartner jumped from a balloon at an altitude of 39,045 meters a decade ago, he never imagined that his adventure, in addition to setting an altitude record, would also pave the way for space tourism.

The future of space tourism on Earth would not involve launching space rockets, but rather a hot air balloon equipped with a pressurized capsule to take wealthy tourists to a height of about 30,000 meters to experience the sensation of weightlessness while enjoying spectacular views. Unlike the experiences offered by Virgin Galactic and other aeronautical companies, they cannot rise much higher precisely because of the lack of atmosphere to support the balloon.

Three companies are already selling tickets to spend 6 hours at the edge of the atmosphere. There are already two U.S. and one French company in the world offering space tourism experiences at an equally stratospheric price for ordinary mortals.

World View is the most affordable, and for $50,000 per ticket offers an eight-hour ride for eight people through the stratosphere at an altitude of 30,000 meters. One of the advantages of this system is that it does not require as much launch infrastructure as a SpaceX Starship, so the company claims that they can launch from iconic locations such as the Grand Canyon, the Brazilian Amazon, the Serengeti in Kenya, the Great Wall in China and the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt.

Ryan Hartman, founder of World View told CBS News in an interview, "We're selling a panoramic view of the earth, so the window has to be perfect. During the flight you have time to take in everything you're seeing. You'll see day turn to night; you'll watch storms form and the weather change under your feet."

Into space in style. Proposals from Space Perspective and France's Zephalto point to a much more luxurious space travel experience. For $127,000 per ticket, the traveler will be able to board Zephalto's Céleste capsule in 2025 and experience a six-hour flight in a private space equipped with every comfort and a delicious meal prepared by a Michelin-starred chef whose name has not yet been revealed.

According to the company, the Céleste's 19 m2 make it the most spacious capsule. It has been designed to accommodate up to six travelers in three cabins, each equipped with a large 3-meter-long window to enjoy the best views on earth. Literally.

Space Perspective's Neptune space capsule proposal doesn't fall short either. The ticket price for this experience drops slightly to $125,000, and it plans to make the first flight in late 2024. The most striking feature of the Neptune's proposal is its Space Spa bathroom.

"One of the questions we get when people learn that our space flight is six hours long is whether there will be a bathroom on board," Jane Poynter said in a statement. The company announced last week a new "Space Spa" bathroom with enhanced "sound and odor" control and its own windows so as not to lose detail of the views even in the most intimate moments, avoiding the bad experience of having to wear a diaper or use vacuum toilets. Luxury at its best.