(Bloomberg) — Well-heeled food and space enthusiasts may soon be able to enjoy gourmet meals in the stratosphere. At least, if you’re willing to pay nearly $500,000 per ticket.
And less than 24 hours after the trip was announced, many people are already asking where they can apply.
Luxury space travel company SpaceVIP has hired a Danish chef from a Michelin-starred restaurant for a six-hour high-tech space balloon trip scheduled to debut next year.
Rasmus Munk creates a menu for six guests who are taken to a height of 100,000 feet (30 kilometers) above sea level. Here they can dine while watching the sunrise over the curve of the Earth and stream him live to friends at home using the onboard Wi-Fi.
The menu has not yet been finalized, but the 32-year-old chef said in an interview with Bloomberg that some of the ideas include dishes inspired by aerogels and encapsulated scents, making the food like the journey itself. He said he wanted it to be innovative. He is the chef of the Danish restaurant The Alchemist, which ranks him fifth in the 2023 World’s 50 Best Restaurants Guide.
Despite the hefty price tag, Munk said more people are interested in taking their first trip aboard the spacecraft.
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“We know that your first trip is an expensive one. But at the end of the day, this is the first time we’ve launched with these food experiences,” said Munch, who will be taking part in the trip himself. He said the plan is to organize more trips and lower prices later so more people can enjoy the experience.
“Dozens of eligible participants have already expressed significant interest in this experience, and with only six seats available, we expect to secure all passengers in the coming weeks,” SpaceVIP Founder said Roman Cipolka.
The spacecraft is being built by Space Perspectives and requires no training or special equipment, the statement said. The pressurized capsule will be lifted by a space balloon, a technology developed by NASA, rather than a rocket. Test flights will begin next month.
SpaceVIP is not the first company to offer dining opportunities in space. Last year, France-based Zefarto announced that starting in 2025, it wanted to offer people the chance to dine aboard a hot air balloon at the edge of the stratosphere for at least $132,000.
–With assistance from Kate Krader.
©2024 Bloomberg LP
