Space Perspective, the world’s leading luxury spaceflight experience company, announced last week that it has selected Florida’s Space Coast Spaceport in Titusville, Florida as the location for the company’s worldwide campus and manufacturing complex.
Along with the company’s world-class launch operations facilities at the Launch and Landing Facility on NASA Kennedy Space Center, Space Perspective is building a campus on the Space Coast Spaceport site for their capsule and balloon manufacturing facility, laboratories, and operations infrastructure from launch to mission control. Space Perspective will invest more than $38 million in new construction and high-value equipment and tooling, including the $9 million, 120,000 square foot manufacturing building slated to be fully operational within the next 24 months. The investment will also spur the creation of approximately 240 full-time permanent jobs by the end of 2026, with an annual average wage of $80,000, plus benefits. Hiring began in 2021 and will continue through 2022.
Space Perspective conducted an extensive five-state site selection search.
“The amazing opportunities in space tourism made the selection process very competitive. Florida and its system of spaceports became the front-runner,” said Taber MacCallum, the founder, co-CEO and Chief Technology Officer of Space Perspective. “This is a win for the entire state of Florida, as we are planning launch operations from three Florida spaceports.”
Upon completion, the new complex will serve as Space Perspective’s worldwide campus, the carbon-neutral production site of Space Perspective’s SpaceBalloons and the zero-emission Spaceship Neptune spacecraft, and as a welcome center for history-making Space Explorers and their guests, complete with interactive experiences as well as capsule models.
Space Coast Spaceport located adjacent to Kennedy Space Center is the only independently operated multi-modal space center in America.
“Multi-modal logistics and operations capability gives us rail, road, marine and air service all right on our campus. That, combined with the speed, flexibility, and efficiency of being independently operated, makes the Space Coast Spaceport a great location for Space Perspective,” continued MacCallum. “Being adjacent to our operations facilities on NASA Kennedy Space Center made it easy for us to become the first space launch operator at the Space Coast Spaceport, where we successfully completed our first test flight in June 2021. This location will allow us to continue to attract the most accomplished talent in the world, and we are grateful for the continued support of the North Brevard Economic Development Zone as we prepare for our first commercial flights in late 2024.”
“We’re witnessing a revolution in space access and Florida’s Space Coast is now the place for production, as well as launch,” said Lynda Weatherman, the president and CEO of the Economic Development Commission of Florida’s Space Coast. “With its selection of Titusville, Space Perspective joins Lockheed Martin, Astrotech, Boeing and others in what is quickly becoming a significant aerospace hub across the causeway from Cape Canaveral.”
“Congratulations to Space Perspective on its selection of the Space Coast Airport and Spaceport for operations,” said Frank DiBello, the president and CEO of Space Florida. “Titusville has played a significant role in Florida’s aerospace history, and Space Perspective represents a new era of commercial space exploration, adding to that space narrative. Space Florida is pleased to welcome Space Perspective to the region.”
“It is my absolute pleasure to welcome Space Perspective as our new anchor tenant at the Space Coast Spaceport,” said Kevin Daugherty, the director of Airports Titusville – Cocoa Airport Authority. “Our vision is to create a world-renowned air and space center and Space Perspective’s global reach will aid in achieving our vision, as well as being a positive addition to the community.”
“The Titusville City Council and I are very excited that Space Perspective has selected our city as the location for their space tourism manufacturing and operations. Space tourism is yet another example of the continued expansion of the commercial space marketplace. I am very pleased to welcome Space Perspective and space tourism to our city, which is truly the Gateway to Nature and Space,” said Titusville Mayor Dan Diesel.
Founded in 2019, Space Perspective was created to provide a transformative opportunity to view planet Earth from space. The company recently announced a historic $40 million Series A financing round, the largest for a human SpaceBalloon company to date. Space Perspective has already begun filling key leadership positions with individuals whose unparalleled depth of experience includes responsibility for: safety and medical operations for every human spaceflight under a SpaceBalloon in the last 40 years; Manufacturing of SpaceX Dragon Capsule and Falcon rocket structures; design and manufacturing of NASA’s innovative SpaceBalloons including for the heaviest mass ever flown under a SpaceBalloon; more launches of more types of SpaceBalloons for NASA and others than any other individuals; Development and operations of SpaceX Dragon Capsule marine recovery systems and Falcon rocket launches; Development and operations of the highest human flight under a SpaceBalloon ever conducted; Ritz Carlton rebrand to private 5-star and marketing for other award-winning hotels; Experience curation for Virgin Galactic and Zero-G, and Virtuoso.
Commercial flights are targeted to begin in late 2024, with more than 500 tickets sold to date. With the first year of seats completely reserved, Space Perspective is currently taking reservations for 2025 and beyond. Tickets are priced at a market-beating $125,000 per person, and bookings are made with a fully refundable deposit beginning at $1,000. Entire capsules are also available for reservations (up to eight guests and a pilot). Space Perspective’s human spaceflight launches are regulated by the FAA Office of Commercial Spaceflight.
Author
