KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Space travel has never been more comfortable nor kind to the environment. Space Perspective, the Earth’s leading luxury spaceflight experience company, set on advancing a better appreciation of planet Earth and the interconnectedness of the human race, today reveals Spaceship Neptune’s customizable Space Lounge™ interior. The only carbon neutral, zero-emission way to space, Spaceship Neptune places safety, the thrilling views and interaction between Space Explorers front and center in its pioneering design, with sustainable materials embraced throughout – including a bar handcrafted using proprietary materials recycled from the unique SpaceBalloon™ connected to the capsule. The patented 360-degree panoramic windows (0.56 meters wide x 1.54 meters high) will be the largest-ever flown to space. Even the restroom will have a view!
Space Perspective is revolutionizing space tourism - and is a world away from rocket-fueled space endeavors. The elegant ascent in the climate-controlled, pressurized capsule, propelled by a state-of-the-art SpaceBalloon, enables passengers to safely glide for two hours at the edge of space absorbing the phenomenal beauty of Earth and vastness of space. Lift-off takes place at dawn so guests can soak up the sun rising as they climb 100,000 ft (20 mi/30 km). The gradual, two-hour descent to Earth gently concludes with a splash down in the ocean, where a ship retrieves the passengers, the capsule, and the SpaceBalloon. Every aspect of the interior has been designed to enhance the transformative views while elegantly ascending at a cruise speed of 12mph.
“Our mission is to inspire Space Explorers to connect more closely with our planet and each other, and the environment in which they travel with us is central to this. Our Space Lounge is a world away from the white, utilitarian environments you find in other spacecraft,” explains Jane Poynter, Founder, Co-CEO and Chief Experience Officer of Space Perspective.
Space Perspective also announces that hospitality and entertainment entrepreneur David Grutman is joining the company as Experience Curator – to advise on the end-to-end experience for the Space Explorer – from arrival at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, to in-flight and post-landing.
Says David Grutman: “I am beyond excited about advising Space Perspective on the Space Lounge experience - we really want to make this transformative. The world class team at Space Perspective is on a mission to change people’s perception of what adventure travel can be. We have so many ideas on how we can customize the journey – from birthday celebrations, and corporate getaways, to creating seminal moments that will capture the imaginations of all.”
With a near 360-degree panoramic view which appears utterly seamless to the human eye and capsule layout established, the design team went to work on the detailed interior design, creating the elegant, safe and comfortable Space Lounge. As David Grutman knows well, every detail of a curated experience is important. Along with renders, Space Perspective is releasing an interactive video walk-through showing details of the Space Lounge, right down to the bespoke Neptune drink glasses and a specially created dessert.
The capsule also features:
- Arced, deep, reclining seats, which maximize the ability for Space Explorers to enjoy both the vista and each other, can be reconfigured to accommodate a more intimate dinner for two or special event
- Lightweight, dark and tactile sustainable materials throughout its interior to reduce glare and reflection
- Food and beverage service capabilities, including a bar top handcrafted using pellets formed by re-purposing the pioneering recyclable material from Space Perspective’s SpaceBalloons
- The center of the capsule is kept free to ensure group photography (WiFi is also available in-flight) can easily be accommodated. Stretching out and walking around is also straightforward
- Customizable mood lighting including low red LED lights ensures Space Explorers will absorb the dramatic sights of witnessing dawn, planet Earth, and stars above in space – while easily navigating their way around the Space Lounge
- A telescope and interactive screens – including an overhead ‘donut’ scrolling display to share key information as the journey unfolds
- Tasteful decorations including floor lamps, plants and herbs such as lavender, basil and rosemary which are used in food and drink prep. The plants remind us of the interconnected nature of our planet
- A luxurious restroom featuring huge windows too so Space Explorers never miss the incredible views
“Our world class expert crew, who have been integral to all human SpaceBalloon flights in the last 50 years, trialled hundreds of layouts and we’ve secured a patent for our structural engineering, with two design patents pending. The quintessential spaceflight experience is a shared human experience and we’re super proud of this significant milestone as we move full steam ahead towards commercial flight,“ explained Taber MacCallum, Founder, Co-CEO and Chief Technology Officer.
“It is hard to overstate the importance of this design breakthrough, Space Perspective is setting the standard in space tourism,” added Poynter. “The welcoming comfort and calm of the exhilarating Space Lounge experience offers travelers the opportunity to take phenomenal pictures, be educated via our expert pilot and interactive content, enjoy once-in-a-lifetime dining experiences and of course simply soak up the 360 degree views. Our deliberate design process results in a configuration that enables individual contemplation of our extraordinary planet, while inviting a sense of shared experience between our Space Explorers that will create bonds lasting a lifetime. We are delighted to have David join to deliver the ultimate in customizable hospitality for our Space Explorers.”
Commercial flights are targeted to begin in late 2024, with 600 tickets sold to date. With the first year of seats completely reserved, Space Perspective is currently taking reservations for 2025 and beyond. Tickets are priced at a market-beating $125,000 per person, and bookings are made with a fully refundable deposit beginning at $1,000 (customers can also book and pay online via crypto - a first in the commercial space flight industry). Entire capsules are also available for reservations (up to eight guests and a pilot). Space Perspective’s human spaceflight launches are regulated by the FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation.
For more information, visit SpacePerspective.com. Follow Space Perspective for updates on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube. Experience the capsule interior here.
About Space Perspective
Space Perspective is the world’s first luxury spaceflight experience company. It invites more people than has historically been possible to experience a thrillingly new and visceral perspective that expands the human consciousness – the incredibly exhilarating panoramas and scale of Earth in space. The Observer cited Space Perspective as “the best suborbital space tourism offering in the world.”
Setting a new bar in out-of-this-world thrilling experiences, as soon as late 2024 Space Perspective plans to take Space Explorers to space inside Spaceship Neptune’s pressurized capsule propelled by a high-performance SpaceBalloon without using rocket fuel or high G forces. Space Explorers see the world anew through its vast windows, 450 miles in any direction. The ultra-comfortable, accessible and gentle six-hour journey redefines space travel.
Space Perspective is led by industry luminaries Jane Poynter and Taber MacCallum and their unique-in-the-world expert crew who have been integral to all human SpaceBalloon flights in the last 50 years. Building on that experience, the Space Perspective crew has innovated and patented the safest spaceflight experience in the world. Poynter and MacCallum have been dubbed ‘Masters of the stratosphere’ by Bloomberg Businessweek. MacCallum also served as Chairman of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation.
The focus on taking care of the world we live in is nothing new to Poynter: over the years, she has led ground-breaking environmental projects for the United Nations and the International Space Station, including the development of the first carbon sequestration model of a mangrove forest that could be used to calculate carbon credits to provide additional income to the community.
About David Grutman
David Grutman is a globally renowned innovator and entrepreneur in the hospitality field. In particular, he is known for creating immersive experiential venues with distinct atmospheres, infusing high energy and transportive luxury across a one-of-a-kind portfolio of restaurants, hotels, bars, and nightclubs.
Grutman—himself a native Floridian—has built his name in the Miami area, where his firm, Groot Hospitality, owns the restaurants Komodo, Swan, Bar Bevy, OTL, Papi Steak, Strawberry Moon, Sushi Fly Chicken, and The Key Club; the nightclubs LIV at Fontainebleu and Story; and The Goodtime Hotel. Future openings include the resort Somewhere Else, on Atlantis Paradise Island in The Bahamas.
Outside of hospitality, Grutman also pursues additional business and personal interests. He is the creative director and co-owner of Prince, the athletics and lifestyle company. Additionally, Grutman teaches a guest class at Florida International University called “The David Grutman Experience.” The seminar focuses on what it takes to conceptualize and create a leading hospitality platform. He has also guest lectured at the prestigious School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University, and Harvard Business School.
