This Is the World's First Carbon-Neutral Spaceship
It will be used to take tourists to space in the near future.
Everybody wants to go to space these days, but with all the rush to get off the Earth, there doesn’t seem to be as much consideration about the environmental impact of those journeys. Space Perspective, a Florida-based company, is offering a “carbon-neutral, zero emission” option for space tourism. The Spaceship Neptune craft will be able to take people suborbital, going as high as 100,000 feet.
First reported by CNN Travel, new photos shared by Space Perspective reveal more details about this carbon-neutral space craft, which will have a capsule for passengers carried up by what looks like a giant hot air balloon.
“Unlike all other spacecraft whereby the crewed compartment separates from one flight system mid-flight and transfers to another flight system, Spaceship Neptune’s capsule remains secured to the SpaceBalloon the entire flight from liftoff to splashdown, creating a seamlessly safe and gentle flight,” the Space Perspective website states.
“Spaceship Neptune is lifted to space by our SpaceBalloon, propelled by renewable hydrogen, with no rockets and none of the associated carbon footprint,” the website's description continues. “Rather than blasting off, we rise slowly at 12mph, making the experience accessible to anyone medically fit to fly with a commercial airline.”
The company aims to launch six-hour flights in the vessel by the end of 2024. If you want to go on the trip though, you’ll need to start saving right away. Tickets are projected to be $125,000 each. There will be a two-hour ascent, two hours where tourists will enjoy the views from the outer limits of the Earth’s atmosphere, and then a two-hour descent into the ocean, where your adventure will come to an end via a ship.
During the entire experience, you’ll have access to Wi-Fi, so that you can share the experience online. In addition to panoramic views, the capsule also offers "reclining, plush seats" and plenty of on-board refreshments.
Opheli Garcia Lawler is a Staff Writer on the News team at Thrillist. Follow her on Twitter @opheligarcia and Instagram @opheligarcia.