It’s one small bite for man, one luxurious meal for mankind.
The French startup Zephalto is set to bring luxury to “the edge of space” next year, complete with Michelin star-level meals with an out-of-this-world view of Earth’s curvature.
The company is already selling 10,000 euro (nearly $14,700) “pre-reservation tickets” for the trip in its pressurized capsule, fittingly named Celeste.
Celeste is attached to a high-tech, helium-filled stratospheric balloon that will carry the capsule upward. According to Zephalto’s website, the balloon is as large as Sacré Coeur Cathedral in France, which is 130 metres tall.
The entire six-hour journey will set adventurous diners back 120,000 euros (about $176,300).
The voyage includes a luxury dining experience paired with French wine. The six-passenger capsule will ascend to a maximum altitude of 25 kilometres — higher than an average commercial aircraft, but not reaching suborbital space for weightlessness on board.
After a 90-minute ascent travelling at four metres per second, the balloon will linger at maximum altitude for three hours. With a panoramic view of Earth from the capsule, Zephalto has promised the sight will be stunning.
A representative for Zephalto told CNN that seats onboard the earliest flights in 2024 have already been filled through to mid-2025. The pre-reservation tickets will be for voyages in the latter half of 2025.
Zephalto’s founder, former air traffic controller Vincent Farret d’Astiès, told the outlet that “the view and overall journey remains the central focus of the offering, allowing guests to appreciate and take in the beauty of their surroundings.”
The Zephalto capsule and balloon will be required to meet all European Aviation Safety Agency standards, the same as any commercial aircraft. Celeste will lift off in France, though Farret d’Astiès said he hopes to one day take the enterprise global.
The company has completed three piloted partial test flights, though a full test journey will take place later this year.
Zephalto is not the only company interested in space tourism. Elon Musk’s SpaceX has transported a select few people to space. Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin space shuttle has whirred a number of high-profile figures out of Earth’s atmosphere, including Canadian actor William Shatner, who became the oldest living person to enter space in 2021.
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