While trips to space usually involve rockets and launches, US startup Space Perspective wants to do things very differently. The company wants to take people to the edge of space with a carbon dioxide-free spacecraft.
Neptune
The spaceship called Neptune takes off without the rockets and associated emissions. Instead, Neptune will be lifted into space by a so-called space balloon, powered by renewable hydrogen. Thus, the spaceship is not launched away, but rather rises due to the buoyancy of the balloon. This happens at a speed of only 20 km per hour. According to the company, this technology has been used for decades, including by NASA.
German company Mercedes-Maybach sees merit in this idea and has teamed up with Space Perspective. To further reduce emissions, car trips to the spaceship will be provided by electric cars from Mercedes-Maybach.
Edge of space
The fact that Neptune takes tourists into space is a bit exaggerated. The Kármán Line is the boundary that separates the Earth from space and is located at an altitude of 100 km above the Earth. The spaceship rises about 30 kilometers. According to the American Space Agency, this height is sufficient to see the curvature of the Earth. Since the spaceship is not actually entering space, passengers will not feel weightless.
Welfare
The spaceship is fully equipped. Space perspective He writes About soft seats, a bar serving delicious food and drinks, in-flight scientific information, and even WiFi to keep in touch with friends and family on the ground.
End of 2024
The plan is for Space Perspective to transport the first passengers to the edge of Earth at the end of 2024. The spaceship seats eight people. To be able to see the view of the land you have to pay about 115,000 euros.
Space tourism
Space Perspective isn’t the only company getting involved in space tourism. Although this flight produces lower emissions, there are several concerns. Scientists have previously warned that the damage to the environment will be incalculable if the popularity of space tourism increases. “We must now start the conversation about regulating the space travel sector so that we can reduce the damage to the ozone layer and climate,” one researcher said after publishing a study on the effects of space tourism.
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