Deep-pocketed food and space lovers will soon be able to enjoy gourmet dining in the stratosphere. At least if they are willing to pay almost $500,000 a ticket. And less than 24 hours after the trip was announced, many people have already asked where they can sign up.
SpaceVIP, a luxury space travel company, has hired a Danish chef from a Michelin-starred restaurant for the six-hour high-tech space balloon trip, which is set to debut next year.
Rasmus Munk will create the menu for the six guests who'll be taken 100,000 feet (30 kilometers) above sea level. Here they will dine watching the sunrise over the earth's curvature, with wifi on board allowing them to livestream to friends at home.
The menu is yet to be finalized, but in an interview with Bloomberg, the 32-year-old chef said he wants the dishes to be innovative like the journey itself, with aerogel-inspired food and encapsulated aroma among the ideas. He's chef at Danish restaurant Alchemist, which was ranked fifth in the World's Best 50 Restaurants guide for 2023.
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Despite the expensive price tag, Munk said there are more people interested in the first trip than they can fit on the spacecraft.
"We're aware that it's an expensive first journey. But this is after all the first launch with these food experiences on board," said Munk, who will be joining the trip himself. He said the plan is to organize more trips and lower the price later to allow more people to enjoy the experience.
"We've already had dozens of qualified participants express tremendous interest in this experience and, with only six seats available, we foresee us securing all passengers in the next few weeks," said SpaceVIP founder Roman Chiporukha.
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The spacecraft, built by Space Perspectives, requires no training or special gear, according to a statement. A pressurized capsule will be lifted by a space balloon, a technology developed by NASA, rather than a rocket. Test flights will start next month.
SpaceVIP isn't the first business to offer the chance to eat in space. Last year, the France-based company Zephalto announced that they wanted to offer people the chance to eat on a balloon at the edge of the stratosphere for at least $132,000, starting in 2025.
