The space tourism company Space Perspective successfully launched a prototype of the crewed spacecraft Neptune One into the sky using a giant hot air balloon.
The hot air balloon took off from the Space Coast Regional Airport near the Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 4:23 PM on June 18 (Hanoi time). It landed in the Gulf of Mexico after approximately 6 hours and 39 minutes. Experts then retrieved both the balloon and the prototype of the Neptune One it carried.
Prototype of Neptune One and the hot air balloon preparing for launch from Space Coast Regional Airport. (Photo: Space Perspective).
“These tests are designed to ensure that the spacecraft, with the shape we designed, will fly and land as planned, helping us avoid any surprises later on,” said Jane Poynter, co-founder of Space Perspective. She also mentioned that the company plans to conduct its first crewed flight in 2023 and its first commercial flight in 2024.
In addition to Space Perspective, an increasing number of companies are looking to enter the space tourism industry, most of which only take passengers to the edge of space. Some competitors include Blue Origin, SpaceX, and Virgin Galactic. The test on June 18 reached an altitude of 32 kilometers, significantly lower than the 100-kilometer threshold of the Kármán line – the commonly accepted boundary of space.
Space Perspective aims to be the most affordable option with tickets priced at around $125,000 each, while Blue Origin and SpaceX charge millions of dollars, and Virgin Galactic estimates ticket prices to be over $250,000. Space Perspective envisions a leisurely 6-hour flight, whereas other companies utilize rocket engines.
The test at Space Coast Regional Airport also facilitated the launch of several scientific instruments, including an ozone sensor from the Department of Physics at the University of North Florida and experimental tools selected by the nonprofit organization Higher Orbits from proposals submitted by high school students.
