Luxury ‘space balloon’ completes first full flight test | Space

TITUSVILLE, Fla. – Talk about floating to the top of the world. Space Perspective made the first successful full test of its 700-foot-long space balloon and eight-person capsule on Sunday. The hydrogen-filled balloon and capsule rose 100,000 feet to the edge of space and then splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico during the six-hour test. A milestone for the space tourism company, this initial test proved the concept works. It will now need to undergo successive unpiloted and piloted tests. This first successful flight should also make its space-tourism model more attractive to investors, Michael Verdon writes for the Robb Report. Continue reading original article.

The Military & Aerospace Electronics take:

19 September 2024 – The full flight profile demonstration began with a precise launch from MS Voyager, propelling Spaceship Neptune to an altitude of approximately 100,000 feet—above 99% of Earth’s atmosphere. Over the course of the six-hour journey, the spacecraft reached its peak altitude before performing a controlled descent and splashdown, showcasing its full flight profile and validating key technological advancements.

“Completing Development Flight 2 is a defining moment for Space Perspective,” said Taber MacCallum, Founder and CTO of Space Perspective. “I’m so proud of our devoted team who has worked relentlessly to execute this mission, drawing from their deep…