Forget Rockets, This Balloon Takes You To Space With Fine Wine And Michelin-Star Dining

Anyone who is fit to travel on a commercial airline is fit to fly on this space balloon, with no prior training required.

Space travel used to feel like something out of a sci fi movie, but the recent billionaire space race has brought it closer to reality. And now there's a new twist that's set to open up a mass market, stratospheric balloon travel. It lets you get close to the edge of space without needing a rocket. Zephalto, a French startup is set to offer people the chance to travel to the edge of space in a balloon and have a Michelin-star fancy lunch, starting at $132,000 (about Rs 1 crore) per person from 2025. Unlike traditional space tourism, you don't have to be an astronaut or require any training for this experience.

Zephalto's founder, Vincent Farret d'Astiès, an aerospace engineer, partnered with the French space agency to develop the concept of a balloon that could reach the stratosphere in 2023. So far, three successful trials have been done and the company plans to launch the official trips by 2025. According to the company's website and initial release, it plans to operate 60 flights per year, with only six passengers including two pilots on board each flight, providing a luxury experience that combines the best of French hospitality with fine food, wine, and design, sightseeing, and relaxation. "We want it really to bring the French in, in space and stratosphere. So all is designed to be very smooth, very comfortable, and dedicated to this contemplation of space and earth," said Vincent Farret d'Astiès, the CEO of Zephalto, one of the companies involved in the balloon based space race.

Once-In-A-lifetime Dining Experience

The balloons, filled with helium or hydrogen, will depart from France with two pilots on board and rise to 25 kilometers (15.5 miles) into the stratosphere for 1 1/2 hours. So what exactly is the stratosphere? It's the layer of the atmosphere about 10 to 50 kilometers above Earth. The stratosphere is the second-lowest layer of Earth's atmosphere, situated above the troposphere and below the mesosphere. The temperature here increases with altitude which makes it a relatively stable layer. and 98% of the atmosphere is below it.

Once at peak altitude, which is about three times higher than a commercial airliner, the balloon will stay for three hours, giving guests a chance to take in views previously seen only by astronauts. The descent will take a further hour and a half for a six-hour round trip. "Imagine floating gently up to the edge of space inside a giant balloon. No noisy rockets. No need to deal with zero gravity. Just you in a luxurious capsule, enjoying window seat views of our planet," said d'Astiès. When you climb at 25 kilometers altitude, you are in the darkness of space, and, you can see the curvature of the Earth. "It's like the overview effect, but something only astronauts have seen for the moment. It's really a transformative experience," he said in an interview. Moreover, Zephalto's balloon will land on the ground, not in the sea, and the company highlights its luxury design, making the experience more serene and less risky than traditional space tourism. Anyone who is fit to travel on a commercial airline is fit to fly on this space balloon, with no prior training required.

View from inside the pressurized capsule (Zephalto)

Sustainable Space Tourism

But it's not just about luxury. Zephalto's founder and CEO, who's also an aerospace engineer, says these balloon flights can be sustainable. Rockets used for space travel typically release 50 to 75 tons of Carbon Dioxide. Zephalto's flights generate a fraction of that, just 26 kilograms of co2 per passenger.

Zephalto has partnered with CNES, the French space agency, which has been sending balloons into the stratosphere for more than sixty years. The company launched in 2016, and since then, it's carried out several test flights with pilots only. Its capsule is set to be certified by the European Aviation Safety Agency to meet safety standards equivalent to those of commercial airlines. So how much does it cost? A little less than $130,000 (about 1 crore) per ticket.

Reach For The Stars

Around 100 people have secured their spots with a 20% deposit. The CEO said that the price tag will eventually come down to earth. "After we know that we've more and more tests, more and more flight, the price will get lower and lower. It's also like the beginning of sailing. You know, sailing was like a gentleman sport, but, not for everybody. And now a lot of people are going, on the ocean." Zephalto and other similar companies share common challenges. Regulatory hurdles due to strict safety standards, the cost of technology development, and the need for robust infrastructure. But Zephalto's leaders say they hope to offer a a unique, eco conscious journey into the stratosphere, one that might just change the way we think about space travel.

The French startup has chosen an altitude of 25 kilometers because it's where the darkness of space begins, and 98% of the atmosphere is below, allowing guests to enjoy the curvature of the Earth in the blue line. Although they will be in the darkness of space, there won't be any zero-gravity experience, as they will not cross the Kármán Line, which is internationally recognised as the boundary of space.

A number of startups are trying to make it possible for more people to enjoy an amazing view at that altitude and at a much lower price than traditional space tourism. As of now, the space tourism's value is closing in on a billion dollars. And by 2033, it's expected to be worth 35,000,000,000.