Halo recently presented a rendering of its space capsule design
One of the most unique niches of tourism of the future, space tourism, is taking wings, with plans of a number of companies, from Virgin Galactic to Blue Origin and beyond, emerging about taking passengers to explore, if not the space per se, then at least the edge of the atmosphere, in the stratosphere.
One of the lesser-known entities in this business is Spanish space tourism firm Halo Space, that was founded in 2021 with the goal of improving access to space tourism, with about USD 150,000 apiece, compared to USD 450,000 charged by Virgin Galactic, USD 28 million by Blue Origin and USD 55 million by Space X. Halo Tourism says that by using helium balloons instead of jets or rockets, it is cheaper and more sustainable than its rivals.
Carlos Mira, CEO, believes his company can take upto 10,000 people to the stratosphere within the next six years. He said Halo Space will start commercial flights in 2026.
Recently, the firm unveiled the interior of its capsule, designed by Frank Stephenson, a renowned industrial designer formerly of Ferrari and Maserati.
The Spanish company says its capsules will cruise at 30-35 km above the Earth and each trip would last for four to six hours in total, which makes it slightly longer than a Blue Origin or Virgin Galactic flight, but less than SpaceX.
So far, only about 650 people have ever been to space. Mira of Halo Tourism says Halo can up that figure to 10,000 by 2030, at least two flights a week.
It plans to launch the capsule from sites in the United States, Australia, Spain and Saudi Arabia. The firm will set up temporary venues for customers that reflect each country.
Halo has conducted five test flights since 2022 and hopes to launch commercial flights as soon as 2026. Halo says it is seeking certification by the Federal Aviation Administration before getting approval in other countries.
