To Saudi Arabia, try out space tourism for IDR 2.6 billion

JAKARTA – Residents of Saudi Arabia can now order tour packages space travel. They will feel the sensation of flying in the Earth’s stratosphere in 2026.

Gulfnews reported, Friday (22/3/2024), the tour package to the second layer of the earth’s atmosphere is worth IDR 2.6 billion per person. This trip, organized by Halo Space, a company based in Madrid, targets Saudi Arabia as one of the departure locations and is planning a test flight in June 2024.

This trip will be Halo Space’s sixth trial and its second prototype to fly as high as 32 kilometers above the Earth’s surface. Halo Space has received conditional approval from Saudi Arabia’s regulator, the Communications, Space and Technology Commission, for the test flight.

The spacecraft in question uses a space balloon equipped with a pressurized capsule capable of accommodating eight passengers and a pilot. The capsule will have panoramic windows, giving passengers a stunning 360-degree view of the earth.

Halo Space has a target to start commercial flights in 2026 and operate 400 commercial flights a year starting in 2029.

This trip lasts about four to six hours with one to two hours at maximum altitude and views of the blue curvature of planet Earth.

“Because landings in helium-powered balloons are gradual, there are no accelerations or strong G-forces, meaning almost anyone can board a Halo flight without requiring special training,” the company said in a statement.

(msf)