According to Zephalto (France), a dining meal service in space will shortly be launched in 2024 that meets the standards of Michelin-star restaurants.
Vincent Farret d'Astiès, a businessman and former air traffic controller, established the space tourism company Zephalto. Zephalto is currently offering "reserved tickets" for exclusive dinners in space through the Celeste, a pressurized capsule that is linked to a stratospheric balloon.
Having dinner at a high altitude
At a speed of four meters per second, Celeste guarantees to transport six passengers and two pilots to its highest altitude in approximately 90 minutes. There will be plenty of time for travelers to enjoy a multi-course meal and several glasses of high-quality French wine because the capsule will float above Earth for three hours.
While the food and drink choices on Celeste will be opulent, Farret d'Astiès told CNN Travel that "the view and overall journey remain the central focus of the offering, allowing guests to appreciate and take in the beauty of their surroundings."
The atmosphere that travelers feel inside Celeste and the atmosphere on popular planes are the same, Farret d'Astiès stated. But with Celeste, passengers are going to have more chances to immerse themselves in more breathtaking views and a more opulent vibe. The French architect Joseph Dirand is currently designing the pressurized capsule's interior. Zephalto has not yet revealed the designs, but he claims they will have "French savoir-faire."
Price for this one-of-a-kind meal at the edge of space
In Zephalto's introduction, it is stated that Celeste may reach the stratosphere with a unique balloon. Passengers will be able to observe the curvature of the Earth from this compartment, which will stop at an elevation of more than 25,000m (15.5 miles). Travelers will be elegantly entertained with scrumptious delicacies while enjoying the magnificent views of vast space.
Pre-reservation tickets cost 10,000 euros, or around $10,900, and allow buyers to reserve a seat in advance of general public sales. A vacation on Celeste will cost you a total of 120,000 euros, or roughly $131,100.
According to Zephalto, seats on the initial flights from late 2024 to mid-2025 have already been taken, and they are currently offering pre-reservation slots for flights from mid-2025 onward.
The safety of this fantastic trip
Zephalto, a 2016 startup, is not the only one attempting to provide passenger transportation in a luxurious heated air balloon. High-profile and innovative space tourism firms like SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Virgin Galactic have been making moves in this field recently, promising to make space the next hot spot for travelers.
These pressurized spacecraft, known as the Celeste, won't truly reach suborbital space, but they will nevertheless soar much higher than the typical commercial aircraft. The Earth and the stars will be clearly visible, which brings travelers a feeling of great delight, but there won't be any loss of gravity or appearance of the resulting weightlessness.
Although the names of the upcoming Celeste chefs have not yet been revealed, it is believed that Celeste will recruit many culinary and experienced culinary professionals to serve travelers the most delicious dishes.
Zephalto claimed that the organization has collaborated closely on the project with the French National Center for Space Research (CNES) and considers Airbus, - an aviation company, as one of its key partners. According to the corporation, helium-powered balloons have to get the same certification from the European Aviation Safety Agency as commercial airplanes.
Zephalto claimed it performed three partial test flights and intended to conduct a fourth that would cover the entire route later this year. All ages are welcome on the flights, and there is no requirement for travelers' previous training.
Celeste is now planning to depart from France, but Zephalto hopes that this incredible experience will soon spread over the world.