Space Balloon Co-Piloted by Richard Branson to Launch in 2025 for $125K Per Ticket

Sir Richard Branson is preparing for another space adventure, this time as a co-pilot on the first-ever commercial stratospheric balloon flight. This comes after Branson became the first billionaire to journey into space in 2021 aboard a Virgin Galactic spacecraft.

For this upcoming mission, Branson will be seated inside a pressurized capsule that will be carried by a massive balloon, reaching an altitude of 20 miles above Earth. Space Perspective, the company behind the project, plans to conduct its inaugural flight in 2025, though a specific date has not yet been set. Branson will be joined by the company’s co-founders, Jane Poynter and Taber MacCallum, who will also serve as pilots for the mission.

Branson is no stranger to balloon flights, having set two world records during ballooning expeditions across the Atlantic Ocean in 1987 and the Pacific Ocean in 1991. Reflecting on these experiences, Branson expressed his excitement about supporting Space Perspective in its pioneering journey into the stratosphere.

The space balloon will lift the Neptune capsule into the upper atmosphere, with the entire structure standing as tall as the Eiffel Tower. At launch, the balloon will be filled with hydrogen, allowing it to ascend at a speed of approximately 12 miles per hour. Upon reaching a height of 20 miles, the capsule will hover above the atmosphere, far beyond the altitude reached by any previous commercial balloon flight.

In September, an uncrewed test flight successfully followed the same flight path and altitude, giving Space Perspective confidence in its plans for the 2025 mission. Branson’s involvement as an investor is expected to accelerate the development and testing of the company’s flight program.

For those interested in this luxurious space experience, seats on the Neptune capsule are priced at $125,000 each. The capsule can accommodate eight passengers, who will enjoy food, drinks, and high-speed Wi-Fi during the journey, along with stunning views of Earth. The six-hour trip includes two hours of floating in the stratosphere, where passengers will witness the blackness of space and the thin blue line of Earth’s atmosphere.

Space Perspective has already received over 1,800 reservations for the highly anticipated flight.