Space Perspective

Type| Subsidiary
Industry| Aerospace
Founded| 2021
Founder| Jane Poynter and Taber MacCallum
Headquarters|

Titusville, Florida

United States

Number of employees

| 140 (2024)
Parent| Eos X Space
Website| spaceperspective.com

Space Perspective is a private American aerospace manufacturer and subsidiary which is building crewed high-altitude balloons for near space tourism. The company, headquartered in Titusville, Florida, is developing Spaceship Neptune,[1] a pressurized gondola lofted by a SpaceBallon, a large hydrogen high-altitude balloon.[2]

The company was in financial turmoil from January 2025,[3] resulting in the organization being acquired in July 2025 by competitor Eos X Space, a balloon flight company based out of Spain.[4]

## Contents

* 1 History
* 1.1 Financial turmoil and acquisition
* 2 Hardware
* 2.1 Spaceship Neptune
* 2.1.1 Excelsior
* 2.2 Marine Spaceports
* 2.2.1 MS Voyager
* 3 References

## History

Space Perspective was founded by married couple Jane Poynter and Taber MacCallum in 2018. Poynter and MacCallum who had met on the first Biosphere 2 mission and had previously founded the Paragon Space Development Corporation and World View Enterprises, a company which similarly to Space Perspective planned to take tourists up to the stratosphere in high altitude balloons.[5][6] Nevertheless, as World Views Enterprises' focus shifted from tourism to building uncrewed stratostats, Poynter and MacCallum spun off Space Perspective as a separate company.[7]

In 2021, the company flew an uncrewed test flight of their high altitude balloon, including a mass simulator of their pressurized gondola, Spaceship Neptune, and announced initial ticket prices of US$125,000.[8] In October 2021, the company announced it had raised 40 million dollars in its Series A round of financing.[9] In 2023, the company announced it had booked 1,600 tickets,[10] and began construction on its first Spaceship Neptune gondola.[11]

After finishing construction of the first Spaceship Neptune gondola in February 2024, the company flew the gondola for the first time in September 2024 on an uncrewed test flight, launching and recovering the gondola on the company's leased platform supply vessel MS Voyager.[12] In October 2024, Richard Branson had invested and it was announced he would co-pilot the first crewed launch in 2025.[13]

### Financial turmoil and acquisition

In January 2025, the future of the company was thrown into doubt after it was revealed that the company owes US$90,295 in unpaid rent to Space Coast Regional Airport.[14] Later, CEO Michael Savage confirmed that the company was experiencing financial difficulties and had furloughed 75% of its employees while seeking new investors. The company was served an eviction notice by the Space Coast Regional Airport on 17 January 2025.[3] Space Perspectives' financial issues has been attributed by former employees to both the decision to spend equal amounts of money on marketing and development and the mismanagement of funds.[15]

By April 2025 observers including Travel Weekly had assessed the company as having effectively ceased operations, with travel agencies having not heard from the company since January.[16] Nevertheless, in July 2025 the company was purchased by Spanish aerospace manufacturer Eos X Space, who planned to build stratospheric tourism balloons of their own. Eos X Space has said that Space Perspective will "operate with full autonomy, under U.S. leadership and corporate structure".[4]

## Hardware

### Spaceship Neptune

Spaceship Neptune is the company's crewed pressurized gondola designed for near space tourism. The spherical carbon-composite gondola measures 16 ft (4.9 m) in diameter and provides 2,000 sq ft (190 m2) of pressurized volume for up to eight passengers and one captain.[1] The gondola is lined with a thin transparent vacuum deposited UV-reflective coating, and features an array of fifteen 52 in (130 cm) windows.[2] The interior of the gondola includes a washroom named the "Space Spa" by the company, eight seats and a bar within what the company calls a "Space Lounge".[17] The gondola includes four reverse parachutes in case the balloon is unable to descend, and a device named the Splashcone designed to both soften the impact of the planned water landings as well as flood to provide ballast.[1]

Spaceship Neptune is lofted into the stratosphere by a high-altitude balloon called SpaceBalloon. When inflated, the SpaceBalloon is filled with over 24×10 ~~^~~ 6 cu ft (680,000 m3) of hydrogen and stands approximately 550 ft (170 m) tall.[18] The company plans to launch and recover the gondola and balloon at sea, using the MS Voyager platform supply vessel.[19]

Despite being marketed as a spacecraft and being considered as such by the Federal Aviation Administration,[2][20] the vehicle's apogee of 30 km (19 mi) only reaches the stratosphere and falls short of the 100 km (62 mi) Kármán line, the conventional definition of space.[21]

#### Excelsior

The first Spaceship Neptune, the prototype balloon gondola Excelsior[22] was launched in September 2024 on a successful uncrewed high altitude test flight to 100,000 feet (30,000 m).[23]

### Marine Spaceports

Space Prospective plans to use a ship to launch and recover the balloon out at sea. These mothership balloon tenders are called marine sparceports.[22][19]

#### MS Voyager

The Marine Spaceport Voyager, the first marine spaceport,[22] is a converted platform supply vessel, the 294 by 56 feet (90 by 17 m)[24] Voyager was built by Edison Chouest Offshore and is operated by Guice Offshore (GO), the former operator of SpaceX capsule recovery vessels MV Megan and MV Shannon.[2] The ship acts as both the launch and recovery platform for the Spaceship Neptune gondola.[19] In September 2024, the inaugural test launch of Excelsior was successfully performed from MS Voyager.[25]

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Spaceship" (in en). https://spaceperspective.com/spaceship.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "Travel to Space" (in en). 17 September 2024. https://spaceperspective.com/.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Neale, Rick (21 January 2025). "Space Perspective gets eviction summons from airport; company seeks investors for test flights". Florida Today. https://www.floridatoday.com/story/tech/science/space/2025/01/21/space-perspective-gets-eviction-summons-from-titusville-airport-seeks-investors-for-test-flights/77782424007/.
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Troubled balloon-tourism pioneer Space Perspective bought by Spanish company" (in en). 2025-07-27. https://www.space.com/space-exploration/private-spaceflight/troubled-balloon-tourism-pioneer-space-perspective-bought-by-spanish-company.
5. ↑ Sebag-Montefiore, Clarissa. "20 Minutes With: Space Perspective Co-founder Jane Poynter". Penta (Barron's). https://www.barrons.com/articles/20-minutes-with-space-perspective-co-founder-jane-poynter-01654533003.
6. ↑ Foust, Jeff (18 June 2020). "World View founders launch new stratospheric ballooning venture". SpaceNews. https://spacenews.com/world-view-founders-launch-new-stratospheric-ballooning-venture/.
7. ↑ Boyle, Alan (18 June 2020). "Space Perspective reboots vision of flying passengers to stratosphere on a balloon". GeekWire. https://www.geekwire.com/2020/space-perspective-reboots-vision-flying-passengers-stratosphere-balloon/.
8. ↑ Spry, Jeff (29 June 2021). "Can't afford Blue Origin tickets? This space balloon company has a much cheaper near-space trip". SYFY Official Site. https://www.syfy.com/syfy-wire/Space-Perspective-uses-space-balloons-for-trips-to-the-stratosphere.
9. ↑ Gonzalez, Kathie (14 October 2021). "Space Perspective Soars With $40 Million 'Series A' Funding Round, Led by Prime Movers Lab, to Expand Space Travel Program" (in en). Business Wire. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211014005227/en/Space-Perspective-Soars-With-40-Million-‘Series-A’-Funding-Round-Led-by-Prime-Movers-Lab-to-Expand-Space-Travel-Program.
10. ↑ Vlasto, Josh (27 July 2023). "Space Perspective Surpasses 1,600 Seats Sold for Carbon-Neutral Spaceflight Experience - Unprecedented Milestone for a Space Travel Company" (in en). www.prnewswire.com. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/space-perspective-surpasses-1-600-seats-sold-for-carbon-neutral-spaceflight-experience--unprecedented-milestone-for-a-space-travel-company-301886873.html.
11. ↑ Neale, Rick (22 December 2023). "Spaceship Neptune balloon capsule taking shape in Titusville hangar for 2024 test flight". Florida Today. https://www.floridatoday.com/story/tech/science/space/2023/12/22/space-perspective-aims-for-first-balloon-spacecraft-launch-in-q1-2024-from-port-canaveral-florida/71974147007/.
12. ↑ Dinner, Josh (24 September 2024). "Space Perspective completes 1st uncrewed balloon flight to the edge of Earth's atmosphere (video)" (in en). Space.com. https://www.space.com/space-perspective-completes-first-uncrewed-test-flight.
13. ↑ "Sir Richard Branson to Co-Pilot First Crewed Flight, Invests". 17 October 2024. https://spaceperspective.com/journal/sir-richard-branson-to-co-pilot-first-crewed-flight-invests. "Sir Richard Branson will serve as co-pilot on its first crewed flight"
14. ↑ Neale, Rick (16 January 2024). "Space Perspective owes $90K in unpaid rent at Titusville airport; status of company unknown". Florida Today. https://www.floridatoday.com/story/tech/science/space/2025/01/16/balloon-startup-space-perspective-owes-unpaid-rent-at-titusville-space-coast-regional-airport/77489153007/.
15. ↑ "Space Perspective Eviction: Employees Demand Accountability Amid Allegations of Mismanagement". TalkOfTitusville.com. 21 January 2025. https://talkoftitusville.com/2025/01/21/space-perspective-eviction-employees-demand-accountability-amid-allegations-of-mismanagement/.
16. ↑ Hineman, Brinley (25 April 2025). "Space Perspective's balloon dreams deflate" (in en). Travel Weekly (Northstar). https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Tour-Operators/Space-Perspective-appears-to-be-out-of-business.
17. ↑ Carney, Dan (5 March 2024). "Space Perspective Spaceship Neptune Targets Almost-Space". Design News. https://www.designnews.com/industry/space-perspective-spaceship-neptune-targets-almost-space.
18. ↑ @SpacePerspectiv (5 December 2024). "At about 550 feet long and with a volume of a little over 24 million cubic feet, our SpaceBalloon™ is truly a feat of engineering and meticulous construction.". https://twitter.com/SpacePerspectiv/status/1864717457820127611.
19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 "World's First Marine Spaceport for Human Spaceflight, MS Voyager, Debuts on the Guice Offshore Fleet Roster". MS Voyager | Marine Spaceport | Space Perspective. Guice Offshore. 25 January 2024. https://www.guiceoffshore.com/worlds-first-marine-spaceport-ms-voyager-debuts-on-the-guice-offshore-fleet-roster/.
20. ↑ @SpacePerspectiv (5 December 2024). "Spaceship Neptune and all Space Perspective operations are regulated by the FAA and the Coast Guard. The FAA regulates Spaceship Neptune as a spacecraft because the environment the capsule operates in is akin to that of low-Earth orbit—and so, the capsule has been designed and engineered to protect its passengers from the harsh conditions of space.". https://twitter.com/SpacePerspectiv/status/1864717457820127611.
21. ↑ Heidler, Scott (21 December 2023). "Exclusive: A look at Spaceship Neptune, capsule set to take passengers to the edge of space" (in en). WESH. https://www.wesh.com/article/florida-spaceship-neptune/46204222.
22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 Stephen Clark (21 February 2024). "Test flights on tap for Space Perspective's luxury high-altitude balloon". Ars Technica. https://arstechnica.com/space/2024/02/test-flights-on-tap-for-space-perspectives-luxury-high-altitude-balloon/.
23. ↑ Titusville Media (6 February 2025). "Space Perspective Shutting Down After Failed Investments, Eviction, and Allegations of Mismanagement". The Talk of Titusville. https://talkoftitusville.com/2025/02/06/space-perspective-shutting-down-after-failed-investments-eviction-and-allegations-of-mismanagement/.
24. ↑ "Voyager". Marine Spaceport | Space Perspective | Guice Offshore. Guice Offshore. https://www.guiceoffshore.com/fleet/voyager/.
25. ↑ "Space Perspective Successfully Completes Uncrewed Spaceship Neptune-Excelsior Test from MS Voyager Deck". Guice Offshore. 23 September 2024. https://www.guiceoffshore.com/space-perspective-test-launch-from-ms-voyager-a-success/.

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