:Space Perspective

Space Perspective was founded by married couple Jane Poynter and Taber MacCallum in 2018. Poynter and MacCallum who had met on the first Biosphere 2 mission and had previously founded the Paragon Space Development Corporation and World View Enterprises, a company which similarly to Space Perspective planned to take tourists up to the stratosphere in high altitude balloons.{{cite news |last1=Sebag-Montefiore |first1=Clarissa |title=20 Minutes With: Space Perspective Co-founder Jane Poynter |url=https://www.barrons.com/articles/20-minutes-with-space-perspective-co-founder-jane-poynter-01654533003 |access-date=22 October 2024 |work=Penta |publisher=Barron's}}{{cite news |last1=Foust |first1=Jeff |title=World View founders launch new stratospheric ballooning venture |url=https://spacenews.com/world-view-founders-launch-new-stratospheric-ballooning-venture/ |access-date=22 October 2024 |work=SpaceNews |date=18 June 2020}}

Nevertheless, as World Views Enterprises' focus shifted from tourism to building uncrewed stratostats, Poynter and MacCallum spun off Space Perspective as a separate company.{{cite news |last1=Boyle |first1=Alan |title=Space Perspective reboots vision of flying passengers to stratosphere on a balloon |url=https://www.geekwire.com/2020/space-perspective-reboots-vision-flying-passengers-stratosphere-balloon/ |access-date=22 October 2024 |work=GeekWire |date=18 June 2020}}

In 2021, the company flew an uncrewed test flight of their high altitude balloon, including a mass simulator of their pressurized gondola, Spaceship Neptune, and announced initial ticket prices of US$125,000.{{cite news |last1=Spry |first1=Jeff |title=Can't afford Blue Origin tickets? This space balloon company has a much cheaper near-space trip |url=https://www.syfy.com/syfy-wire/Space-Perspective-uses-space-balloons-for-trips-to-the-stratosphere |access-date=29 October 2024 |work=SYFY Official Site |date=29 June 2021}} In October 2021, the company announced it had raised 40 million dollars in its Series A round of financing.{{cite news |last1=Gonzalez |first1=Kathie |title=Space Perspective Soars With $40 Million 'Series A' Funding Round, Led by Prime Movers Lab, to Expand Space Travel Program |url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211014005227/en/Space-Perspective-Soars-With-40-Million-%E2%80%98Series-A%E2%80%99-Funding-Round-Led-by-Prime-Movers-Lab-to-Expand-Space-Travel-Program |access-date=18 January 2025 |work=Business Wire |date=14 October 2021 |language=en}} In 2023, the company announced it had booked 1,600 tickets,{{cite news |last1=Vlasto |first1=Josh |title=Space Perspective Surpasses 1,600 Seats Sold for Carbon-Neutral Spaceflight Experience - Unprecedented Milestone for a Space Travel Company |url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/space-perspective-surpasses-1-600-seats-sold-for-carbon-neutral-spaceflight-experience--unprecedented-milestone-for-a-space-travel-company-301886873.html |access-date=18 January 2025 |work=www.prnewswire.com |date=27 July 2023 |language=en}} and began construction on its first Spaceship Neptune gondola.{{cite news |last1=Neale |first1=Rick |title=Spaceship Neptune balloon capsule taking shape in Titusville hangar for 2024 test flight |url=https://www.floridatoday.com/story/tech/science/space/2023/12/22/space-perspective-aims-for-first-balloon-spacecraft-launch-in-q1-2024-from-port-canaveral-florida/71974147007/ |access-date=22 October 2024 |work=Florida Today |date=22 December 2023}}

After finishing construction of the first Spaceship Neptune gondola in February 2024, the company flew the gondola for the first time in September 2024 on an uncrewed test flight, launching and recovering the gondola on the company's leased platform supply vessel MS Voyager.{{cite news |last1=Dinner |first1=Josh |title=Space Perspective completes 1st uncrewed balloon flight to the edge of Earth's atmosphere (video) |url=https://www.space.com/space-perspective-completes-first-uncrewed-test-flight |access-date=21 October 2024 |work=Space.com |date=24 September 2024 |language=en}} In October 2024, Richard Branson had invested and it was announced he would co-pilot the first crewed launch in 2025.{{cite web |url=https://spaceperspective.com/journal/sir-richard-branson-to-co-pilot-first-crewed-flight-invests |title=Sir Richard Branson to Co-Pilot First Crewed Flight, Invests | website=Space Perspective |access-date=23 January 2025 | date=17 October 2024 |quote=Sir Richard Branson will serve as co-pilot on its first crewed flight }}

In January 2025, the future of the company was thrown into doubt after it was revealed that the company owes US$90,295 in unpaid rent to Space Coast Regional Airport.{{cite news |last1=Neale |first1=Rick |title=Space Perspective owes $90K in unpaid rent at Titusville airport; status of company unknown |url=https://www.floridatoday.com/story/tech/science/space/2025/01/16/balloon-startup-space-perspective-owes-unpaid-rent-at-titusville-space-coast-regional-airport/77489153007/ |access-date=18 January 2025 |work=Florida Today |date=16 January 2024}} Later, CEO Michael Savage confirmed that the company was experiencing financial difficulties and had furloughed 75% of its employees while seeking new investors. The company was served an eviction notice by the Space Coast Regional Airport on 17 January 2025.{{cite news |last1=Neale |first1=Rick |title=Space Perspective gets eviction summons from airport; company seeks investors for test flights |url=https://www.floridatoday.com/story/tech/science/space/2025/01/21/space-perspective-gets-eviction-summons-from-titusville-airport-seeks-investors-for-test-flights/77782424007/ |access-date=22 January 2025 |work=Florida Today |date=21 January 2025}} Space Perspectives' financial issues has been attributed by former employees to both the decision to spend equal amounts of money on marketing and development and the mismanagement of funds.{{cite news |title=Space Perspective Eviction: Employees Demand Accountability Amid Allegations of Mismanagement |url=https://talkoftitusville.com/2025/01/21/space-perspective-eviction-employees-demand-accountability-amid-allegations-of-mismanagement/ |access-date=11 May 2025 |work=TalkOfTitusville.com |date=21 January 2025}}

In April 2025, Travel Weekly assessed the company as having effectively ceased operations, with travel agencies having not heard from the company since January.

Spaceship Neptune is the company's crewed pressurized gondola designed for near space tourism. The spherical carbon-composite gondola measures {{cvt|16|ft|m}} in diameter and provides {{cvt|2000|ft2|m2}} of pressurized volume for up to eight passengers and one captain. The gondola is lined with a thin transparent vacuum deposited UV-reflective coating, and features an array of fifteen {{cvt|52|in|cm}} windows. The interior of the gondola includes a washroom named the "Space Spa" by the company, eight seats and a bar within what the company calls a "Space Lounge".{{cite news |last1=Carney |first1=Dan |title=Space Perspective Spaceship Neptune Targets Almost-Space |url=https://www.designnews.com/industry/space-perspective-spaceship-neptune-targets-almost-space |access-date=21 October 2024 |work=Design News |date=5 March 2024}} The gondola includes four reverse parachutes in case the balloon is unable to descend, and a device named the Splashcone designed to both soften the impact of the planned water landings as well as flood to provide ballast.

Spaceship Neptune is lofted into the stratosphere by a high-altitude balloon called SpaceBalloon. When inflated, the SpaceBalloon is filled with over {{cvt|24|e6ft3|m3}} of hydrogen and stands approximately {{cvt|550|ft|m}} tall.{{Cite tweet |user=SpacePerspectiv |number=1864717457820127611 |date=5 December 2024 |title=At about 550 feet long and with a volume of a little over 24 million cubic feet, our SpaceBalloon™ is truly a feat of engineering and meticulous construction.|access-date=18 January 2025}} The company plans to launch and recover the gondola and balloon at sea, using the MS Voyager platform supply vessel.

Despite being marketed as a spacecraft and being considered as such by the Federal Aviation Administration,{{Cite tweet |user=SpacePerspectiv |number=1864717457820127611 |date=5 December 2024 |title=Spaceship Neptune and all Space Perspective operations are regulated by the FAA and the Coast Guard. The FAA regulates Spaceship Neptune as a spacecraft because the environment the capsule operates in is akin to that of low-Earth orbit—and so, the capsule has been designed and engineered to protect its passengers from the harsh conditions of space.|access-date=9 December 2024}} the vehicle's apogee of {{cvt|30|km|mi}} only reaches the stratosphere and falls short of the {{cvt|100|km|mi}} Kármán line, the conventional definition of space.{{cite news |last1=Heidler |first1=Scott |title=Exclusive: A look at Spaceship Neptune, capsule set to take passengers to the edge of space |url=https://www.wesh.com/article/florida-spaceship-neptune/46204222 |access-date=21 October 2024 |work=WESH |date=21 December 2023 |language=en}}

The first Spaceship Neptune, the prototype balloon gondola Excelsior{{cite web |url= https://arstechnica.com/space/2024/02/test-flights-on-tap-for-space-perspectives-luxury-high-altitude-balloon/ |title= Test flights on tap for Space Perspective’s luxury high-altitude balloon |author= Stephen Clark |date= 21 February 2024 |publisher= Ars Technica }} was launched in September 2024 on a successful uncrewed high altitude test flight to {{convert|100000|ft|m}}.{{Cite news |url= https://talkoftitusville.com/2025/02/06/space-perspective-shutting-down-after-failed-investments-eviction-and-allegations-of-mismanagement/ |title= Space Perspective Shutting Down After Failed Investments, Eviction, and Allegations of Mismanagement |date= 6 February 2025 |author= Titusville Media |publisher= The Talk of Titusville }}

Space Prospective plans to use a ship to launch and recover the balloon out at sea. These mothership balloon tenders are called marine sparceports.

The Marine Spaceport Voyager, the first marine spaceport, is a converted platform supply vessel, the {{convert|294|by|56|ft}}{{cite web |title= Voyager |work= Marine Spaceport {{!}} Space Perspective {{!}} Guice Offshore |url=https://www.guiceoffshore.com/fleet/voyager/ |publisher= Guice Offshore |access-date= 18 January 2025 }} Voyager was built by Edison Chouest Offshore and is operated by Guice Offshore (GO), the former operator of SpaceX capsule recovery vessels MV Megan and MV Shannon. The ship acts as both the launch and recovery platform for the Spaceship Neptune gondola.{{cite web |title= World’s First Marine Spaceport for Human Spaceflight, MS Voyager, Debuts on the Guice Offshore Fleet Roster |work= MS Voyager {{!}} Marine Spaceport {{!}} Space Perspective |url= https://www.guiceoffshore.com/worlds-first-marine-spaceport-ms-voyager-debuts-on-the-guice-offshore-fleet-roster/ |publisher= Guice Offshore |access-date= 18 January 2025 |date= 25 January 2024 }} In September 2024, the inaugural test launch of Excelsior was successfully performed from MS Voyager.{{cite web |url= https://www.guiceoffshore.com/space-perspective-test-launch-from-ms-voyager-a-success/ |title= Space Perspective Successfully Completes Uncrewed Spaceship Neptune-Excelsior Test from MS Voyager Deck |date= 23 September 2024 |publisher= Guice Offshore }}

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Category:Aerospace companies of the United States

Category:Private spaceflight companies

Category:Balloons (aeronautics)

Category:Companies based in Brevard County, Florida

Category:Space tourism