In August 2003, Ekaterina Dmitriev and her cosmonaut partner Yuri Malenchenko crafted history as they became the first couple to have, what was called the ‘first-ever space wedding’. As Dmitriev walked down the aisle on Earth, Yuri watched from the International Space Station (ISS) via a satellite link, and the two got married.
Now, a space travel company Space Perspective offers an opportunity for people to have what can be called a celestial wedding, by taking couples into space to tie the knot.
As per media reports, Jane Poynter, Space Perspective’s co-founder, has said there is a long waiting list of people wanting to be the first to be married in space. As even Earth weddings come at a high cost, this one in space is evidently pricier, with a price tag of $125,000 (Rs 1.03 crore) per seat.
Coming to technology, Space Perspective works on an innovative balloon technology, which is carbon-neutral. Its spacecraft, Neptune, has an ascent speed of 19 kmph, and is said to be as safe as boarding a plane. Notably, Neptune is lifted by SpaceBalloon, which is propelled by renewable hydrogen. The carbon-neutral element is crucial here as the environmental cost of traditional rocket launches has remained an issue.
Not just Space Perspective, another American company World View has similar plans of sending people to gaze at some of the wonders of the world from the edge of space. “From takeoff to touchdown, we’ve designed our six-eight hour stratospheric journeys to give you the ultimate in time, space, and comfort to completely immerse yourself in the wonder of it all,” the company says on its website. It, too, works with similar technology as Space Perspective. One of the differences is that it uses helium to lift the balloon. World View is accepting deposits for places, including the Grand Canyon, the Great Barrier Reef, Serengeti, and Giza Pyramids, among others. Coming to pricing, the experience, which includes spaceflight and in-flight food and beverage, costs $50,000 per seat.
As people would be increasingly travelling to space, wouldn’t they want to stay? This is exactly what late Hilton CEO and president William Barron Hilton had envisaged in the 1960s. At an astronautical conference in 1967, he said, “I believe that we are going to have Hiltons in outer space. Perhaps even soon enough for me to officiate at the formal opening of the first.”
That is exactly what is happening now as companies are also gearing up to build space hotels. Orbital Assembly Corporation is building not one but two such hotels. Named Pioneer Station and Voyager Station, the hotels are expected to open in 2025 and 2027, respectively, as projected by the company according to media reports. While the former would open with a capacity of 28 guests, the latter is said to have villas, suites, restaurants, gym and bar. Another company, Axiom Space, which is building the world’s first private space station, also plans to come up with accommodations for the travellers. While the space of commercial space tourism is getting increasingly crowded, it is still dominated by the trident — Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin, Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic and Elon Musk’s SpaceX. Both Bezos and Branson have been on a trip to space, clearly showcasing how space tourism is the rich person’s space. And the increasing participation by private players also opens the gate to more innovations in the field where government agencies across countries have an upper hand.
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Coming to India, while multiple companies are working in the space-tech space, the space tourism segment is yet to pick up. ISRO’s Gaganyaan Mission, India’s first human space mission, is set to be launched in late 2024.
That launch, which will be a major feat for India in the space-tech space, could also open gates for more human space missions. And who knows, in some time, the country, too, could venture into the field of space travel.