() — Eating at the edge of space could be a reality next year, if French company Zephalto has its way.
This space tourism company, founded by former air traffic controller Vincent Farret d’Astiès, currently sells “pre-booking tickets” for upcoming trips in a pressurized capsule, called a Celeste, attached to a stratospheric balloon.
This capsule will ascend to an altitude of 25 kilometers, allowing guests to marvel at the curvature of the Earth. Between sight and sight, travelers will be entertained in a big way.
Pre-reserved tickets cost 10,000 euros (about $10,900) and give buyers the chance to reserve a seat as soon as they go on sale. In total, a trip on the Celeste will cost 120,000 euros (about US$131,100).
Zephalto explained to Travel that seats have already been booked for the first flights from late 2024 to mid-2025, and pre-bookings for mid-2025 onwards are now being sold.
Celeste promises to transport six passengers and two pilots to the highest altitude in just 90 minutes, at a speed of four meters per second. The capsule will then float above Earth for three hours, long enough to enjoy a multi-course meal and several glasses of fine French wine.
Farret d’Astiès explained to Travel that while Celeste’s food and drink options will be luxurious, “the views and the overall journey remain at the center of the offering, allowing guests to appreciate and take in the beauty of their around”.
dining at high altitude
Zephalto says his balloon-suspended restaurant will soar 25 kilometers into the atmosphere. Credit: Courtesy of Zephalto
Since Dennis Tito, the first “space tourist” in history, took to the skies in 2001, few have followed in his footsteps. But in recent years, high-profile space tourism companies like SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Virgin Galactic have been making moves in this arena, promising to make space the next must-see vacation spot.
Zephalto, founded in 2016, isn’t the only company hoping to transport passengers in a sleek hot air balloon. Florida company Space Perspective is accepting reservations for its Spaceship Neptune.
It should be remembered that there is a big difference between a trip to orbital space – which involves high-speed, gravity-breaking takeoffs and a longer duration – and suborbital space, in which travelers are briefly exposed to weightlessness and views of space during a flight to the edge of the atmosphere, 100 kilometers above Earth.
And trips to the “edge of space”, such as those proposed by Zephalto and Space Perspective, are different again.
These capsules will not reach suborbital space, but they will fly much higher than a normal commercial aircraft. That means magnificent views of Earth and the stars, but without the loss of gravity and the consequent feeling of weightlessness.
Farret d’Astiès compares the atmosphere inside Celeste to traveling by plane, but with more incredible views and a more luxurious atmosphere. The interior of the pressurized capsule is being designed by French designer Joseph Dirand. The designs have not yet been revealed, but Zephalto promises they will exude “French savoir-faire.”
“Refined and Elevated”
Although Celeste’s future chefs have not yet been announced, the idea is that there will be a series of culinary masters who will have a free hand to choose what’s on the menu. Zephalto is keen that “chefs be able to exercise their creative license and ensure the ability to personalize the guest experience to deliver something refined and elevated,” so some chefs may decide to have dinner happen before the trip, rather than during the same.
Zephalto has collaborated closely on the project with CNES, the French space agency, and counts the aeronautical company Airbus among its partners. According to the company, the balloon, which will work with helium, must have the same certifications from the European Aviation Safety Agency as a commercial airplane.
Zephalto claims to have completed three piloted partial test flights, with another scheduled for later this year that will undergo the full ride. The flights will be open to people of all ages, and no prior training is necessary.
For now, Celeste is scheduled to take off from France, but Zephalto hopes to go global soon.
