BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — Titusville-based Space Perspective recently completed the first flight (and second unmanned test) of its Neptune capsule, which will be attached to a giant balloon that will offer tourists a view of Earth normally only seen by astronauts.

Space Perspective’s Marine Spaceport Voyager spacecraft arrived at Port Canaveral earlier this week with the Neptune capsule on board, demonstrating that the capsule can be launched and recovered from any location in the world.

The Neptune, called Excelsior, is a test capsule that was used to collect data during its flight, which will then be analyzed and used to build the next human-compatible capsule.

Each flight lasts approximately six to seven hours. You will launch from Voyager, then spend two hours ascending into the atmosphere at 12 miles per hour until you reach your apogee at 100,000 feet. You will stay there for two hours before entering the two-hour descent phase, during which you will splash down and be recovered from the Voyager Marine Spaceport.

The space balloon used to ascend the capsules is 168 meters long and has a deck area of ​​about 46 meters aboard Voyager. Space Perspective uses large pulleys to move the balloon back and forth. During preparations for launch, teams fill only the top of the balloon to 1%, allowing it to inflate as it rises vertically into the air.

“The SpaceBalloon is a well-proven technology that has been flown over 1,000 times by NASA and other governments, so it is fundamentally safe,” the company said.

Following this test flight, Space Perspective will analyze the data collected to improve its next capsule suitable for use in manned spacecraft.

And when it does happen, the company promises it will be a breathtaking sight for tourists who can afford the $125,000 price tag.

“You’ll ascend into a night sky filled with stars, look down on our planet, and watch the sun rise over its curved horizon, illuminating the thin, pale blue line of our atmosphere. Through the nearly 360-degree panoramic windows, you’ll be able to see about 450 miles in every direction,” the company explained.

And although you will see the curvature of the Earth, you won’t be floating around like an astronaut, as the company explained: “People experience it in orbit because the spacecraft is traveling at 28,000 km/h and is literally falling around the planet – the speed counteracts gravity. Neptune flies into space at 19 km/h, so you won’t experience weightlessness.”

Co-founders and CEOs Jane Poynter and Taber MacCallum plan to participate in this mission, scheduled for late 2025. The first customers are expected to follow in late 2025 or early 2026.

“This is incredibly exciting. We can demonstrate that we can take people to the edge of space in a space balloon, validate the technology and demonstrate the whole operation. The whole crew is very excited, it’s incredible teamwork. From the people who built the balloon, to the people who designed and built the capsule, to the ship and the launch system and the ship’s crew. There are so many teams working together as one big team, it’s incredible,” MacCallum said.

Space Perspective is headquartered in Titusville at the Space Coast Regional Airport, where the balloon factory is also located. As for the capsule, the carbon composite manufacturing facility is in Melbourne, which is then shipped to Titusville for assembly and systems integration.