Space Perspective, on Florida's space coast, launched its 700-foot-long space balloon and capsule and successfully retrieved as it splashed down.
on Sunday. The hydrogen-filled balloon and capsule rose 100,000 feet to the edge of space and then splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico during the six-hour test. A milestone for thecompany, this initial test proved the concept works. It will now need to undergo successive unpiloted and piloted tests. This first successful flight should also make its space-tourism model more attractive to investors.
“Completing Development Flight 2 is a defining moment for us,” said Taber MacCallum, cofounder and chief technical officer of Space Perspective in a statement. “This uncrewed flight not only proves our pioneering technology but also brings us a giant leap closer to making space accessible for everyone.”The company, based on Florida’s space coast, is charging $125,000 for a seat on its eight-person Spaceship Neptune capsule.
The capsule on MS Voyager’s rear deck behind the massive rollers on the side used to inflate the balloon.The visit also came on the day before a Coast Guard inspection, so dozens of workers were on the deck, preparing the vessel for both the inspection and initial balloon tests. The launch-and-retrieval vessel is the only one of its kind in the burgeoning space-balloon business to operate on water. Its competitors will launch and land from land.
MS Voyager is also designed as a mini-mission control center. Monitoring and control equipment up on the bridge coordinate with the company’s main control center in Titusville. The company said the capsule, which was filled with computers and monitoring equipment, maintained cabin pressure and stability at peak altitude.
Data from the flight will be used for future unpiloted and piloted test flights. The company said it has raised $100 million from investors and currently has more than 1,800 ticket holders for its flights, which should begin commercial operation in 2026.space tourismMeet the Wine Club That Thinks Differently.
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