Space Perspective to Fly People and Payloads to the Edge of Space

US startup Space Perspective, in collaboration with London-based design studio PriestmanGoode, is working on a new type of spaceship that will transport passengers and scientific cargoes to the edge of space.

Flown by a pilot, the Spaceship Neptune will consist of a pressurized capsule attached to a high-performance space balloon. It will be able to safely reach the edge of the Earth’s atmosphere in about two hours. There, the passengers (called Explorers by the Space Perspective marketing team) will be able to enjoy a breathtaking view for two hours, “share their experience on social media” and wait for the descent, which will last another two hours and end in the ocean, where a ship will retrieve the capsule.

The duration of the journey to the edge of space, from take-off to landing, will be approximately six hours.

Neptune’s commercial human spaceflight launches are regulated by the FAA Office of Commercial Spaceflight.

“We’re committed to fundamentally change the way people have access to space — both to perform much-needed research to benefit life on Earth and to affect how we view and connect with our planet,” said Space Perspective Founder and Co-CEO Jane Poynter. “Today, it is more crucial than ever to see Earth as a planet, a spaceship for all humanity and our global biosphere.”

The first un-crewed test flight is scheduled in early 2021 and will include a suite of research payloads.

Space perspective has been chosen by Space for Humanity, a nonprofit program is cultivating a movement to expand and democratize access to space as a preferred partner for their Citizen Astronaut Program and scientific research. Meaning that in the near future, after the millionaire early adopters, even normal citizens will be able to experience the space perspective.

Article by Giacomo Sserwadda