With several companies emerging to literally take you into space, it’s important to choose them based on the quality of their capsules. Let’s face it: the views will be spectacular, but they’ll all show you the same thing. Therefore, it’s crucial to know how incredible the vessel for your vacation to the stratosphere will be, as that will make or break the experience. Madrid-based space tourism company Halo Space is planning to offer a ‘luxe space experience’ and to prove that they have revealed some very exciting images of their Aurora capsule.
The company has partnered with London’s Frank Stephenson Design, which is led by the award-winning automotive designer Frank Stephenson. He has previously spearheaded projects at Ferrari, Maserati, and McLaren, among others. Frank will be responsible for creating an immersive and comfortable experience for eight passengers as they ascend into space in ‘Aurora,’ a capsule that is 14.4 feet wide and 11.5 feet tall.
Guests will be sitting in a circle facing outwards around a central, also circular restroom, to enjoy the views without interruption. “Passengers will spend up to six hours inside our spaceship, and we want every minute to be unforgettable. Frank and his team have created a capsule to enhance our flight experience, utilizing unique resources, design, and technology,” said Carlos Mira, CEO of Halo Space.
While designing a capsule like the Aurora, weight is of paramount importance; hence the team has used a mixture of aluminum alloy and composite materials to achieve a take-off weight of around 7,700 lbs. Inside, the capsule looks futuristic with curved lines and edges, complemented by reflective materials. Passengers will enjoy the journey in large seats facing a mammoth 30 sq.ft window that offers stellar views of our blue planet. For perspective, the windows of the Airbus A350 are 0.89 sq.ft, and they are the largest in the industry. Passengers will be undergoing a pre-flight consultation to highlight their interests in the journey. Based on this information will be showed to them using Augmented Reality. For eg – An arrow would point where their home country or city is along with real time data of the flight. Along with champagne and caviar, passengers embarking on this journey of over six hours will also require a restroom. The designers have cleverly placed it in the center of the capsule, encased in metal, thus saving valuable space and not taking away the view of the openness of the vessel.
The journey does not start or end from the capsule. As the launch sites will be in remote locations passengers will be offered a luxury glamping experience onsite before and after the flight. Passengers are free to dress in their designer labels and turn their 20 miles ascension above the Earth into a real party come 2026. Pre-booking will open later this year, and experiences depend on the launch location from the USA, Spain, Saudi Arabia, or Australia.
Halo Space has conducted five successful test flights with an actual-size prototype, the sixth test is set to take place in Saudi Arabia in June of this year. A lucky few Saudi tourists will be offered an exciting chance to go for a stratospheric trip 32 km above the surface of Earth for an affordable $164,000. It is less than half of what Space Perspective is offering aboard Neptune for a six-hour journey.
