Troubled balloon-tourism pioneer Space Perspective bought by Spanish company
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.
Excelsior, Space Perspective's pioneering luxury space capsule, hangs above the MS Voyager as its lifted toward the edge of Earth's atmosphere. | Credit: Space Perspective
The European company Eos X Space has acquired Space Perspective, one its key rivals in the nascent field of stratospheric balloon tourism.
Florida-based Space Perspective has been developing a luxury balloon-borne capsule called Spaceship Neptune , which is designed to carry passengers on leisurely trips through the stratosphere for $125,000 per seat.
Space Perspective made serious progress over the years, even launching a full (though uncrewed) test flight of the first Spaceship Neptune, named Excelsior, to a maximum altitude of about 100,000 feet (30,480 meters) in September of 2024 . However, the company fell upon tough times recently.
Short on cash, Space Perspective furloughed nearly its entire workforce in January and was evicted a few months later from the Florida airport that hosted several of its facilities, according to media reports.
The acquisition by Eos X Space therefore appears to be a lifeline. Space Perspective "will operate with full autonomy, under U.S. leadership and corporate structure," Eos X Space representatives said in an emailed statement on Thursday (July 24).
Space Perspective's efforts will dovetail with those of Madrid-based Eos X Space, an aerospace outfit founded in 2020 that has been working on a balloon-tourism system of its own.
"This is a historic opportunity for two former rivals to join forces and make manned space tourism a reality," Eos X Space Founder and CEO Kemel Kharbachi said in the same statement.
An image taken from Space Perspective's Spaceship Neptune Excelsior during its first full test flight on Sept. 15, 2024. | Credit: Space Perspective
Related Stories:
— Space Perspective completes 1st uncrewed balloon flight to the edge of Earth's atmosphere (video)
—  Space Perspective wants to take tourists on balloon rides to the stratosphere
—  Space Perspective unveils 'Space Spa' restroom for balloon tourist flights (images)
Eos X Space views the acquisition, the terms of which were not disclosed, as a chance to join the top echelon of space tourism providers, which currently consists of SpaceX (for orbital flights) as well as Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic , both of which offer rocket-powered trips to and from suborbital space. (Balloon-borne capsules don't reach space, of course, but they do allow passengers to see the curve of our planet against the inky void.)
The move also allows Eos X Space to extend its operations and influence to the United States. The company said it will soon have two key sites in the U.S. — a spaceport at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida for balloon flights and a research and development facility in California's Silicon Valley. Eventually, Eos X Space plans to move its global operational headquarters to the U.S.
"This is not just a strategic acquisition; it is a declaration of our long-term vision," Kharbachi said. "We are building a scalable, ethical and efficient space platform driven by innovation, purpose and excellence."
