The money came as a seed round and will allow Space Perspective to test its technology.

Space Perspective is a startup planning to offer high-altitude (read: “edge of space”) trips in Spaceship Neptune, a pressurized capsule suspended from a balloon. It announced Wednesday its raise of $7 million as a seed round led by Prime Movers Lab and Base Ventures. World-renowned entrepreneur, author and business strategist Tony Robbins, and venture capital firms Kirenaga Partners’ Central Florida Tech Fund, 1517 Fund, Schox, E2MC Ventures, and SpaceFund Venture Capital also participated. (SPACENEWS)

Spaceship Neptune

The 15-man company will use the money to further the development of its stratospheric balloon system dubbed “Spaceship Neptune.”

The balloon-cum-capsule can ferry people up to a height of 30 km. It would allow them to experience spaceflight (or something close to it) without the need for a rocket launch.

Space Perspective is planning a test flight of Neptune in the first half of 2021 from the Shuttle Landing Facility at the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. This flight would be completely unmanned and unpressurized. This test flight would be the precursor to operational flights.

Space Perspective: Commercial flights

Commercial flights will commence in late 2024, but ticketing will open next year. People have already registered their names to be first in line to buy tickets.

These could cost as much as $125,000 a pop, according to the Orlando Business Journal, which quoted Space Perspective spokeswoman Angelica Morrissey.

A pilot, passengers, and research payloads will be on board these flights to the edge of space and back.

The “gentle and comfortable” flights would be of six hours duration. They would “offer people the life-changing experience of seeing Earth in the blackness of space” from a height above 100,000 feet. The flights would also offer opportunities for innovative research.

“Our ability to make space accessible in unprecedented ways carries immense importance,” said Taber MacCallum, Founder and Co-CEO regarding the seed round. “We are grateful that this premier group of investors recognizes that space tourism has arrived and is a significant driver in the future growth of commercial spaceflight.”

Commercial launch license from the FAA

Space Perspective said in a statement that the FAA Office of Commercial Spaceflight would regulate its space flights.

According to SPACENEWS, the start-up is working with the FAA to obtain a commercial launch license. The process may be much easier under the finalized and revised regulations known as part 450.

In addition to the license, the company would possibly need another round of financing before it commences commercial flights.

That could be around early 2022.

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