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Space to explore: How Halo Space is redefining space tourism
By Judy Cogan | 24 October 2024 | Travel, Wealth
Could Halo Space redefine space tourism with its Aurora capsule experience? We speak to the creators to find out more
Selecting a gift for someone who has everything can be tricky, but pinpointing where to travel with the person who’s been everywhere? An impossible task. Until space tourism became an option, that is. In 2025 your holiday plans could go stratospheric thanks to the recent launch of the Aurora space capsule, designed as a once-in-a-lifetime experience to obliterate your bucket-list and transform your view of the world — literally.
It’s the vision of Halo Space, a global ‘near space’ tourism company, brought to fruition by designer Frank Stephenson and his award-winning team. The first zero-emission commercial flights will lift off in 2026 (bookable next year), soaring up to 40km high into ‘near’ space where you can see first-hand what astronauts call the Overview Effect (the curvature of the planet Earth).
“Passengers will spend up to six hours inside our spaceship,” says Carlos Mira, CEO of Halo Space. “You’ll watch the curvature of our planet Earth from the deepness and darkness of space. Between the years 1961 and 2024 only 650 human beings have done this. Our goal is to take 10,000 passengers stratospheric by 2030.”
Halo follows in the footsteps (or giant leaps) of billionaire-founded companies such as Virgin Galactic (Sir Richard Branson), Blue Origin (Jeff Bezos) and SpaceX (Elon musk), who have dominated the space-travel-for-fun arena so far, promising coveted suborbital flights that allow civilians to experience space travel — albeit with an eye-watering price tag.
In September 2021, for example, the first ever all-civilian spaceflight, operated by SpaceX lifted off from Cape Canaveral with the four seats costing $200m (£157m). By contrast, you can enjoy The Aurora flight, and days either side spent in the lap of luxury, for a slightly less stratospheric $164,000 (£129,000) a seat.
“We’re breaking new ground in space innovation — it’s as exciting as it gets,” says designer Frank Stephenson. “We’ve made a capsule that’s desirable and emotional but performs to very high engineering standards. It’s still quite an expensive experience, but it’s for people out to achieve the maximum in life.”
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THE BESPOKE PLANNING
The experience starts at the point of booking with every part tailor-made and, typically, six days long. Expect luxury accommodation, restaurant-standard cuisine, and local itineraries to include anything from cultural highlights to extreme sports and spa treatments, with the changing needs of families, couples and solo travellers considered. A ‘get to know you’ questionnaire will help match up travel companions.
“Something so profound and transformative cannot be the same for everyone,” says Carlos. “That’s why we launched the Halo Pioneers Programme, working with future passengers to co-create their individual experience.”
THE LAUNCH LOCATIONS
The Aurora capsule will take off from, and land back in, four specifically chosen host countries: North America, Saudi Arabia, Australia and Spain — in the future you’ll be able to take off from Saudi and land in Spain. Halo performed their first test flight in December 2022 over California’s Mojave Desert.
“Each flagship launch site has vast, unobstructed land with favourable meteorological conditions,” says Carlos. “Accommodation will reflect the local culture and environment. While for our passengers, an adventurous spirit will likely be a common thread.”
THE LUXURY LODGINGS
With desert landscapes in mind, luxury glamping will be offered that blends rustic elements with all the desired five-star amenities and comforts.
“We aim to offer accommodation with comfort on par to a premium hotel,” says Carlos. “Each guest will have a private suite with sleeping quarters, bathroom, air conditioning, wifi and a stargazing deck. There will be zones for guided stretching, meditation and relaxation. We want to fuse adventure with a transcendental atmosphere to prepare our guests for their extraordinary journey ahead.”
THE FLIGHT
Once passengers arrive in the host country, they’ll be allocated a local coordinator to be at their service ensuring a worry-free stay. The flight experience starts with a 2am wake-up call, and the capsule will start its ascent between 3am to 4am so passengers can experience sunrise.
“We believe the highlight of the flight will be seeing the sunrise above the edge of our planet from space,” says Carlos.
Passengers will be shown into the capsule before take-off to meet the other passengers and see the trajectory of the flight, simulated beforehand based on the correct wind speed and altitudes, with a precision of 95%.
“Our goal is for passengers to feel a balance of adrenaline from the unique experience they are about to embark on, coupled with a profound sense of tranquillity regarding their safety,” adds Carlos. “One without the other is insufficient.”
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THE CAPSULE
Inside the capsule, the design team has taken more inspiration from first-class cabins in aeroplanes than sci-fi films.
“We have a simple, modern, enduring look — it’s not too futuristic, but it is beautiful and most importantly within target weight,” says Frank. “You’re going to really enjoy 6-8 hours in space on an up-and-down route, feeling comfortable, informed and entertained. It’s perfect for people who would fly first-class on an aeroplane.”
Everyone will get front row seats on The Overview Effect, but for take-off and landing passengers need to be facing inwards as per safety regulations.
“Nobody gets cheated out of the spectacular view, so the seats can rotate,” adds Frank. “The windows are as big as we can possibly make them — glass weighs a great deal — to maximise that experience.”
THE GASTRONOMY
Forget sachets of dusty space food here. Menus will be curated for in-flight dining to suit guests’ individual tastes and dietary requirements with the help of a dedicated experience adviser.
“We aim to awaken all five senses, with taste being one of the most important,” says Carlos. “We cannot offer infinite options, but we will consider local ingredients and work with renowned chefs from each host country. It’s bespoke for each flight.”
The early launch time and duration of the flight is also considered when creating menus.
“While ‘champagne and caviar’ might seem obvious for such an exclusive experience, our intention is to redefine luxury in each dish we offer,” he adds. “We lean more towards a series of innovative snacks with flavours and textures that enhance the overall experience — but, of course, we will be happy to mark special occasions in space.”
THE LANDING
The experience doesn’t stop when you come back down to Earth. “After landing, we’ll welcome them back to earth with a thematic aperitif and then, at the glamping site, a spectacular feast will cap off a memorable day,” says Carlos.
All passengers will also receive a goodie bag full of high-end souvenirs to take home upon exiting the capsule. These might include, for example, the Halo-branded ‘space suit’ (or onesie), a ‘scent of space’ spray and other toiletries and slippers. Limited-edition collabs with luxury brands are planned, but names can’t be disclosed right now.
“The onesie will be labelled with the passenger’s name and Halo badges in a high-quality material such as cashmere or silk,” says Frank. “It’ll be really cool and very futuristic — definitely something worth showing off back on earth.”