18.09.2024

Space Perspective, the Titusville-based company building hydrogen-balloon-powered capsules to lift tourists to the brink of space, just completed an uncrewed flight test from the deck of a customized ship off the St. Petersburg coast.

The company's Spaceship Neptune pressurized capsule took flight Sunday from the deck of 294-foot-long MS Voyager in the Gulf of Mexico, embarking on a six-hour journey to about 100,000 feet above the Earth's surface before descending for a splashdown.

“Completing Development Flight 2 is a defining moment for Space Perspective,” founder and Chief Technology Officer Taber MacCallum said in a press release.

“I’m so proud of our devoted team who has worked relentlessly to execute this mission, drawing from their deep expertise and designing solutions for never-been-seen technologies. This uncrewed flight not only proves our pioneering technology but also brings us a giant leap closer to making space accessible for everyone and reaffirms our belief in the transformative power of space travel," MacCallum said.

Passenger service to start in 2026

Space Perspective — which has raised $100 million from investors — is selling seats to the brink of space for $125,000. The company has reserved more than 1,800 tickets thus far, with plans to launch commercial service in 2026 offering passengers meals, cocktail service and Wi-Fi inside "the world's first space lounge."

In August 2023, company officials conducted a ribbon-cutting ceremony for their 49,000-square-foot polyethylene balloon manufacturing facility at Space Coast Regional Airport in Titusville.

During Sunday's test flight, Space Perspective reported Spaceship Neptune maintained cabin pressure and stability at peak altitude, "confirming the safety, design and performance of the largest spaceflight capsule ever flown, with the largest windows ever flown."

The company also reported the flight highlighted the spherical carbon-composite capsule's thermal control system, and a fast boat and crane retrieved the capsule after splashdown. Data collected during the flight will pave the way for development of future crewed test flights.

Space Perspective conducted its first test flight in 2021 using a capsule simulator. Spaceship Neptune, which was manufactured in Melbourne and assembled at the Titusville airport, is a prototype. During a December interview, MacCallum told FLORIDA TODAY the company will probably perform 10 uncrewed test flights while building a human-rated vehicle.

Quelle: Florida Today