After Virgin Galactic launched its fifth commercial sub-orbital flight on November 2, space travel for those who can afford it is becoming more attainable.
CBS.com reports that two Virgin Galactic pilots, a company astronaut trainer, and three paying clients were on board the Unity spaceplane at 87km above the New Mexico desert.
A ticket on Virgin Galactic reportedly costs around US$450 000 (R8,2m), and the entire experience lasts about 90 minutes. During this time, passengers can enjoy three to four minutes of weightlessness in a microgravity environment.
Virgin Galactic is planning its next flight for January, while trips on Jeff Bezos’s New Shepard spacecraft are expected to resume before the end of the year after it experienced technical issues during its last unmanned mission. Ticket prices vary between $200 000 (R3,65m) and $1,25m (R22,8m), with a sub-orbital trip on the New Shepard taking an average of five hours. Travellers who want a fully immersive experience can spend $55m (R1bn) with SpaceX for a week on the International Space Station (all meals included).
Carbon counteraction
Space has captured the imaginations of many. However, with just one rocket launch spewing 300 tonnes of black carbon into the upper reaches of Earth’s atmosphere, it can create a warming effect estimated to be 500 times worse than on the planet’s surface.
For those who are sensitive to the emissions caused by space tourism, they can, instead, consider a low-carbon stratospheric balloon trip on Zephalto.
Designed by aerospace engineer Vincent Farret D’astiès, Zephalto touts itself as “a global leader in luxury consumer space travel driven by French design and ‘art de vivre’,” according to luxurylifestylemag.co.uk. It will be the first agency offering European-based consumer flights, which it hopes to launch by the end of 2024.
Flights will take off from France, and at the highest altitude of 25km, travellers won’t be able to experience microgravity but can appreciate a vista of the curvature of the Earth with a Michelin-star meal and wine-tasting. The going price for a trip on Céleste, Zephalto’s space vessel, is €120 000 (R2,4m), with a minimum €10 000 (R198 600) deposit.
