Space Perspective

Space Perspective is a developer of pressurized capsules designed to fly passengers to the edge of space for space tourism. The company is developing a pressurized capsule attached to a stratospheric balloon powered by renewable hydrogen, which allows passengers to experience space. The Space Perspective capsule is developed to give passengers a comfortable trip with cocktail service, a meal, WiFi, and a lavatory, all from what the company calls a Space Lounge.

Space Perspective was founded in 2019 by Jane Poynter and Taber MacCallum and is headquartered in Titusville, Florida. Poynter and MacCallum met as original members of Biosphere 2 and previously founded World View and Paragon Space Development Corporation.

Space Perspective unveiled the Spaceship Neptune in early 2024. The Spaceship Neptune was developed to be carbon-neutral, powered by hydrogen power, and is a space balloon spaceflight capsule intended to bring passengers to the edge of space before returning to the ground. The spacecraft is a large spherical capsule at 16 feet in diameter and provides a pressurized volume of more than 2,000 cubic feet—or roughly twice the volume of Virgin Galactic's Spaceship Two and Blue Origin's New Shepard. The Neptune capsule hangs below a football-stadium-length SpaceBallon, which is filled with hydrogen. The balloon takes two hours to reach altitude, allows for two hours of sightseeing, and then descends two hours as gas is released from the balloon.

The Neptune is developed with a spherical shape to create a perfect pressure vessel. This is intended to allow for a roomy interior with repeated vertical windows for contiguous panoramic views. These windows are designed to protect from harmful wavelengths of sunlight while controlling for heat inside the capsule and not altering the color of what a passenger sees.

Further, the interior of the Neptune has been compared to a lounge, offering passengers an aesthetically pleasing interior with drinks and meals for passengers. It includes a lavatory, which includes a window to ensure passengers who use the lavatory do not miss out on the trip. The toilet includes a cushion so travelers can take a moment without being uncomfortable, and has led to the restroom's official name of "Space Spa."

To launch and recover the Neptune, Space Perspective uses a system at sea, called the Marine Spaceport Voyager, which launches and recovers the system. The decision for marine operations enables the Neptune to splash down with a recovery vehicle as near as possible, and having a marine-based launch pad allows Space Perspective to launch as desired, rather than relying on a licensed launch pad constrained by other users and weather.

To achieve this, the capsule is designed to launch with minimal forces felt by the passengers and to drop down with similar ease and splash down with minimal disruption to the comfort of the passengers. This includes ensuring the capsule is capable of handling the heat and stress of re-entry.