French company offers out-of-this-world dining experience for $132,000 price tag
If the typical luxury steakhouse dinner begins to bore you, this dining experience may be more your speed or, in this case, light speed. Thrillist reports that Zephalto, a French space company, is planning to launch luxury trips to space aboard a high-tech balloon.
The trip will have you and five other guests embodying the Jetsons for a price tag of €120,000 or $132,000. The company specializing in low-carbon balloon travel aims to launch people into the stratosphere by 2025. Bloomberg stated the company will offer 60 trips per year that will take flight from their company spaceport in France.
Guests will be scheduled to arrive a few days before their flight to get acquainted with the balloon and the trip processes, as well as attend exclusive events that correlate with the hefty price. The balloon that will carry the passengers is called the Céleste. The outlet states the pressurized capsule will be carried by a “balloon the size of the Sacré Coeur in Paris.”
Two pilots will be onboard the balloons. The ascension of the balloon will take 90 minutes as the capsule travels at the speed of 13 feet per second. For three hours, participants will sit at an altitude of 15.5 miles enjoying the view from the stratosphere. During those three hours, they will also eat meals by French chefs and participate in a guided wine tasting by the onboard sommelier.
Zephalto founder Vincent Farret d’Astiès spoke to Bloomberg about the unique experience.
“We choose [15.5 miles] high because it’s the altitude where you are in the darkness of space, with 98% of the atmosphere below you, so you can enjoy the curvature of the Earth in the blue line,” d’Astiès said. “You’re in the darkness of space, but without the zero gravity experience.”
Although the thought of being shot into dark space on a balloon may seem daunting, the outlet ensures the balloon is built to create a sense of ease and comfort for passengers. The interior aesthetics add to passengers’ calming experience in the balloon, although they are floating three times higher than a commercial plane. The design theme is French luxury and minimalism. The design was the vision of Joseph Dirand, who is behind Loulou and Monsieur Bleu and the Balmain and Givenchy stores in Paris.
Good food, wine, and aesthetics are all handled by Zephalto. The forward-thinking company also thought about mental health. With the purchase of their ticket, guests can schedule a time to speak to a psychologist in case they are experiencing any “pre-flight” anxiety.
Bookings for 2025 are now open, requiring a pre-booking payment of €10,000 or $11,000. You can reserve your spot here.
Martie Bowser is a journalist and public relations professional in Charlotte, NC. She enjoys amplifying the voices of POC and women that fill a void within their community. Her bylines include “person of interest” interviews, small business highlights, pop culture commentary, entertainment features, and everything Beyonce.