SPACE PERSPECTIVE SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETES HISTORIC UNCREWED DEVELOPMENT FLIGHT 2 OF SPACESHIP NEPTUNE

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September 17, 2024 10:45 AM EDT

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The flight on September 15 marks milestones in space tourism with first of their kind innovations in marine spaceport technology, spacecraft design, and flight safety

SPACE COAST, Fla., Sept. 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Space Perspective, the world's first carbon-neutral spaceflight experience company, has successfully completed a full flight profile of its uncrewed Spaceship Neptune-Excelsior, the fully-operational test vehicle of the spaceship that will take Explorers to space. The flight, which launched from Marine Spaceport (MS) Voyager off the coast of St. Petersburg, Florida on September 15, 2024, is a demonstration of the industry-defining spacecraft Space Perspective has designed and built, and marks the next important benchmark on the way to crewed test flights.

The full flight profile demonstration began with a precise launch from MS Voyager, propelling Spaceship Neptune to an altitude of approximately 100,000 feet—above 99% of Earth's atmosphere. Over the course of the six-hour journey, the spacecraft reached its peak altitude before performing a controlled descent and splashdown, showcasing its full flight profile and validating key technological advancements.

"Completing Development Flight 2 is a defining moment for Space Perspective," said Taber MacCallum, Founder and CTO of Space Perspective. "I'm so proud of our devoted team who has worked relentlessly to execute this mission, drawing from their deep expertise and designing solutions for never-been-seen technologies. This uncrewed flight not only proves our pioneering technology but also brings us a giant leap closer to making space accessible for everyone and reaffirms our belief in the transformative power of space travel."

With the successful completion of Development Flight 2, Space Perspective has made significant advancements in several crucial areas. Key highlights of the flight demonstration include:

Launch and Ascent: Utilizing Space Perspective's patented launch system aboard MS Voyager, the flight employed a novel four-roller mechanism to raise the balloon, which has never been done before. This innovative approach establishes a new standard for marine spaceports, enabling year-round, global spaceflight operations.
Spaceship Neptune Capsule: The spacecraft-maintained cabin pressure and stability at peak altitude, confirming the safety, design and performance of the largest spaceflight capsule ever flown, with the largest windows ever flown. This achievement represents a significant leap in spacecraft engineering.
Thermal Management: The flight highlighted the spacecraft's advanced thermal control system, effectively managing extreme temperature variations from the frigid upper atmosphere to intense solar heating, ensuring a comfortable environment inside the capsule for future Explorers.
SpaceBalloon™ Performance: The flight demonstrated the successful use of hydrogen lift gas with the SpaceBalloon™ manufactured in house by Space Perspective, allowing the spacecraft to ascend to edge of space altitudes and descend safely, proving the viability of renewable lift gases.
Mission Control and Retrieval: Managed from Mission Control, the flight validated proprietary software and communication systems. The retrieval process, involving a fast boat and crane, was executed seamlessly, facilitating a thorough post-flight inspection.

Jane Poynter, Founder of Space Perspective, added: "This flight successfully demonstrated the extraordinary accessibility of Spaceship Neptune's spaceflight experience with its gentle ascent, descent and splashdown, a critical step in opening space up to more people than ever before possible.

Our advances in marine spaceport technology, spacecraft design, and flight safety are setting truly new standards for the future of space exploration."

The data collected from Development Flight 2 will be instrumental in refining Space Perspective's digital twin technology. This technology will aid engineers in analyzing spacecraft systems, including the capsule structure and thermal control, and guide the development of future spacecraft designs. Data gathered from this flight demonstration will pave the way for the development of crewed test flights.

Space Perspective has raised $100M to date and is funded by a diverse portfolio of investors led by investment group, Prime Movers Lab, and other notable venture capital funds like LightShed Partners, E2MC, Base, Green Sands Equity, Kirenaga, and SpaceFund. With a mission to bring more humans to space than ever before, it aims to lead the market for commercial space travel by starting human flights in 2025, with commercial operations in 2026. A seat aboard Spaceship Neptune costs $125,000. 1,800+ tickets have been sold to date.

For more information about Space Perspective or to book a seat, please visit www.spaceperspective.com or contact [email protected].

About Space Perspective

Space Perspective, the world's first carbon-neutral spaceflight experience company, is on a mission to make space travel more accessible than ever before. Its innovative Spaceship Neptune, which comprises a pressurized capsule propelled by a giant SpaceBalloon™, offers a safe and transformative six-hour journey to the edge of space.

With no rockets, weightlessness, heavy g-forces, or training required, the experience is designed to be as gentle on Explorers as it is on the Earth. Those who fly with Space Perspective, which is being regulated by the FAA as well as the U.S. Coast Guard and follows guidelines established by NASA, enjoy a world-class meal and cocktail service, Wi-Fi, unprecedented views through the largest windows ever flown to space, and a proper restroom, which it calls the Space Spa – all from the comforts of the world's first Space Lounge.

Based on Florida's Space Coast, Space Perspective was founded by human spaceflight veterans Jane Poynter and Taber MacCallum, who met as original crew members in Biosphere 2. They went on to launch Paragon Space Development Corporation, which develops tech for environmental control systems that can be found on the International Space Station (ISS). Space Perspective's team more broadly has been instrumental in the development of every U.S. human spacecraft for the past 40 years.