Danish chef Rasmus Munk of the two Michelin-starred restaurant Alchemist is collaborating with SpaceVIP, a “mission-based expedition company for space and space-related experiences,” to bring fine dining to the stratosphere.
On board Space Perspective’s Spaceship Neptune, a CO2-neutral space capsule lifted by a ‘SpaceBalloon’ (“not a rocket,” the press release asserts, but rather a gigantic, brint-filled balloon), guests will be lifted 100,000 ft - 30 km - above sea level where they will dine in the view of the sun setting over Earth’s curvature.
And the luxury does not end there. French fashion house Ogier, most renowned for its outdoor apparel, will provide each passenger with a made-to-measure outfit.
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Despite the project’s opulent and even decadent nature, both companies and Munk insist that the project has a sustainable element.
“Instead of accelerating to space with high-energy rockets that fight against gravity, Spaceship Neptune uses gravity through buoyancy,” SpaceVIP explains. “The gas inside the SpaceBalloon is lighter than the surrounding air so it literally lifts the balloon and capsule up to come to equilibrium above 99% of Earth’s atmosphere where it floats, like an ice cube floating on water. To descend the Spaceship releases a tiny amount of gas that turns into water, so the vehicle is technically near-zero emissions.”
“My ambition is to blend gastronomy with art and science to create awareness about social and environmental issues,” Munk states. “In this experience, I want to highlight food as a common thread in our human existence, and it will be truly meaningful to serve it while gazing down at the Earth's curvature.”
Any proceeds from the expedition will go to the Space Prize Foundation, a foundation dedicated to promoting gender equity in science and technology.
Nevertheless, the experience itself will only be for the very wealthy few. The starting price of tickets is a staggering $495,000. The journey will take 6 hours.