Space Perspective, based in Florida (USA), has unveiled the Excelsior test capsule for the Neptune tourist spacecraft.
The company plans to climb to a height of more than 32 kilometers with the help of a giant “Space Balloon”.
Up to eight intrepid passengers will shell out $125,000 (€115,490) per ticket for the chance to fly to the outer edge of space while enjoying full luxury treatment, including: world-class food and beverage, comfortable seats and bespoke headsets.
In addition, the “explorers”, as they are called, will enjoy the comforts of the world’s first prestigious space lounge, equipped with Wi-Fi, a kitchen and other luxury features.
Panoramic view
The capsule offers a panoramic view through the largest windows ever on a spacecraft. There will even be a “real toilet” which the company calls the Space Spa.
Space Perspective said it hopes to carry more than 1,750 passengers who have purchased tickets so far in 2025 and expects to sell another 4,000 tickets worth $400 million (€369,568,000) by the end of this year.
“Introducing the Neptune – Excelsior spacecraft, our completed test capsule!” “With the largest windows ever on a spacecraft and a spherical design that allows for the most spacious interior of any human spacecraft ever built, our ship offers the most incredible panoramic views of Earth,” the company announced Tuesday, adding:
“With the completion of the first SpaceBalloon and its launch, the Marine Spaceport Voyager, in its final stages of preparation, Space Perspective is beginning to consider test flights.”
“We are on the cusp of incredible change”
The test capsule is named Excelsior in honor of late balloon jump pioneer Joe Kittinger and is claimed to be the largest spacecraft in existence.
The capsule has a diameter of 4.9 m and a volume of more than 60 m³, which is roughly twice the size of Virgin Galactic’s spacecraft or Blue Origin’s New Shepard spacecraft and about four times the size of SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft.
“We are on the cusp of an incredible change, not only in the way people experience space, but also in what we imagine in our minds when we think of the ship that takes us there,” concludes Taber MacCallum, co-founder of Space Perspective and adds:
“We’re changing the category and paving the way for affordable space travel for years to come.”
