SPACE COAST EDC: Space Perspective Makes 272-Foot Vessel MS Voyager First Marine Spaceport for Human Spaceflight

currently offering bookings to edge of space out of headquarters on Florida’s Space Coast

WATCH: Meet the world’s first Marine Spaceport for human spaceflight that will carry the world’s largest human-rated capsule recovery A-frame. The 272-foot vessel is powered by more than 8,000 horsepower and holds onboard generators that produce over 1 megawatt of electricity. Voyager’s incredibly precise mobility and dynamic positioning are made possible by two bow thrusters (one of which rotates a full 360 degrees) and two stern thrusters that rotate 360 degrees.

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – The Economic Development Commission of Florida’s Space Coast shared the exciting news that Space Perspective, a project announced by the EDC in December of 2021, has become the first global space travel experience company with the acquisition of its first vessel in a fleet of ships – the 292-foot MS Voyager.

Space Perspective’s investment on the Space Coast is planned to total more than $38 million and spur the creation of approximately 240 full-time permanent jobs by the end of 2026, with an annual average wage of $80,000.

“Congratulations to Space Perspective for this exciting announcement and milestone, which continues the strong diversification of our region’s growing space tourism industry,” said Lynda L. Weatherman, President and CEO of the Economic Development Commission of Florida’s Space Coast.

“This global expansion of space tourism opportunities is not only exciting but will further strengthen Space Perspective’s presence and growth here on the Space Coast.”

Space Perspective is expected to launch its first flights in 2024 and unveiled the world’s first marine spaceport for human spaceflight during an event at the Kennedy Space Center on Florida’s Space Coast.

MS Voyager will allow Space Perspective to launch and receive its spacecraft from marine-based sites anywhere around the world. The ship was acquired from Edison Chouest Offshore shipbuilders and will homeport out of Port Canaveral until it is fully outfitted for future launches.`

When it announced the Spaceship Neptune Space Balloon, Space Perspective planned on launching from the Kennedy Space Center in Brevard County. Now, Space Perspective has plans to launch from the open sea anywhere in the world.

MS Voyager will begin operations in the New Year, aligned with Space Perspective’s planned test flights that commence in early 2023.

In addition to providing space experiences across the globe, the ocean-going ship will also be able to move as needed to create ideal launch conditions.

A Space Perspective spokesperson said upon splashdown of the Spaceship Neptune Space Balloon, a fleet of support boats will deploy to stabilize and retrieve the Neptune, which will be loaded back onto the Voyager via a custom-built A-Frame mechanism.

“Space Perspective will change your relationship with our planet by providing the quintessential astronaut experience of viewing Earth from the blackness of space,” said Jane Poynter, Space Perspective’s Founder and Co-CEO.

“It’s imperative for us to think about our business with a global mindset. Removing geographic borders for launch and landing accelerates our mission of making this transformative experience more accessible to the world and international marketplace – safely, reliably and with minimal impact on our planet.”

FLORIDA SPACE COAST HQ

The company is currently offering bookings to the edge of space out of its headquarters on Florida’s Space Coast.

Launching the Spaceship Neptune Space Balloon via MS Voyager gives Space Perspective flexibility that it says is needed to grow into a future market that Canaccord Genuity says could be worth $8 billion by 2030.

“We always imagined offering the opportunity to view the most incredible natural phenomena from space, including the Northern Lights, the boot of Italy, the sheer scale of the Nile Delta, and the deep blue seas around the Bahamas. Marine Spaceports like MS Voyager make this a reality,” said Poynter.

Space Perspective officials said the company has already sold more than 1,000 tickets at $125,000 each.

Now with the capacity to launch from marine-based sites around the world, in addition to launching from land on Florida’s Space Coast, Space Perspective has become the first global space travel experience company, offering safe and sustainable journeys to the edge of space from where Explorers live and play.

The name Voyager is an homage to the Voyager 1 Space Probe mission, which, on astronomer Carl Sagan’s request, took a photo of Earth from across the solar system on February 14, 1990.

That photo, now known iconically as the Pale Blue Dot, inspired Sagan’s book of the same name and his call for humans to “preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we’ve ever known” – words that reverberate through Space Perspective’s mission today.

Plans are underway to integrate the marine-based launches into marquee global events, and conversations are active with several potential destinations across the globe to offer Explorers an awe-inspiring view of some of the world’s most iconic geography.

“We always imagined offering the opportunity to view the most incredible natural phenomena from space, including the Northern Lights, the boot of Italy, the sheer scale of the Nile Delta, and the deep blue seas around the Bahamas. Marine Spaceports like MS Voyager make this a reality,” said Poynter.

Marine Spaceports create ideal launch conditions in two ways: by navigating to areas of good weather, which allows for year-round operations within a region, and by moving with the sea breeze, so there is virtually no wind across the deck.

This enables more frequent launch opportunities, as well as more options for the time of day, including sunrise and sunset nighttime stargazing flights for Explorers.

“This is another important milestone and a proud moment for the Space Perspective crew both in terms of pioneering engineering and the ability to scale our offer quickly, globally. We are grateful to our extended crew of dynamic, best-in-class operational partners,” said Space Perspective’s Founder, Co-CEO and CTO Taber MacCallum.

In keeping with Space Perspective’s environmentally conscious ethos, offsets will be provided by Cool Effects, and the vessel itself is being retrofitted to use biofuel to reduce its carbon footprint.

SMOOTH, GENTLE WATER LANDING

When it’s time to come back to Earth at the end of the journey in Spaceship Neptune’s pressurized capsule, a patent-pending splash-cone at its base provides a smooth and gentle water landing.

Fast boats from Fluid Watercraft will then arrive to stabilize the capsule, which will be lifted onto the Marine Spaceport by a custom-built A-frame provided by Supreme Integrated Technologies.

Communications throughout the operation – between land, sea, and capsule – will be provided by Silvus Technologies.

From early Apollo to SpaceX missions, water landings have been a safe and trusted way to return to Earth, and Space Perspective’s team includes former SpaceX and NASA launch and retrieval experts.

“We’ve always believed in Space Perspective’s mission and the experience they are bringing to the world through human spaceflight. Unlocking the ability to scale globally with the addition of Marine Spaceports only strengthens the proposition and the power of the company to change people’s lives and the future of our planet,” said Brandon Ross, General Partner of LightShed Ventures, a major Space Perspective investor.

For more information, visit SpacePerspective.com.

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