Richard Branson to co-pilot space balloon’s first crewed flight to edge of Earth’s atmosphere
Sir Richard Branson will co-pilot a hydrogen “space balloon” that will float a small group of high-paying passengers higher into the stratosphere than any commercial balloon has gone before — with the addition of cocktails and fine dining onboard.
The Virgin Galactic founder will be at the helm of the Spaceship Neptune which will take him and seven others 20 miles above Earth – with each passenger on the hook for $125,000 for the ride, the Florida-based company Space Perspective announced Thursday.
A computer-generated image of what the Space Neptune will look like as it floats 20 miles above Earth. Space Perspective / SWNS
The luxe capsule designed by Space Perspective features a window-filled cabin, plush chairs, fine dining, cocktails, and even onboard wi-fi. The floatable lounge also has a “proper” bathroom dubbed the “Space Spa,” according to the company website.
The total trip time is six hours. Of those six, two hours will be used to ascend to the maximum height and another two hours will be reserved for passengers to peer out of the capsule at the awe-inspiring curvature of the third rock from the Sun.
Passengers don’t need to worry about being as physically fit as astronauts. Space Perspective said that the six-hour flight will be no more stressful on the body than a plane flight.
More than 1,800 people have already reserved seats on the commercial vehicle, which completed its first successful test flight just last month.
Space Perspective boasts that each luxurious seat has the house’s best view. Space Perspective / SWNS
Branson is an investor in Space Perspective and an avid ballooner. In 1987, he traversed the Atlantic Ocean and in 1991, the Pacific Ocean, setting world records with each trip.
“Some of the most magnificent experiences of my life have happened on ballooning expeditions and I’m excited to support Space Perspective in its journey,” Branson said in a statement.
The cabin of the space balloon will have room for eight tourists with a total of three pilots on the first flight. Space Perspective / SWNS
The Australian billionaire will be joined on the trip by the company’s founders Taber MacCallum and Jane Poynter.“Richard’s pioneering efforts in the ballooning industry were a key inspiration for us when we founded Space Perspective,” MacCallum said in a statement.
This won’t be the playboy billionaire’s first trip to suborbital space.Back in 2021, he won the billionaire space race by being the first person in that tax bracket to surf the ether in a self-funded rocket when he flew aboard Virgin Galactic’s VSS Eve. That space plane reached a height of 53 miles above the Earth.
Virgin Galactic hit some turbulence earlier this year when their $450K-per-flight space tourism flight was grounded after a pin that held the ship in place “detached”.
The Space Perspective balloon flight is set to take off in 2025.
