LOCATION - Zephalto Spaceport, France
DURATION - ½ Day (6 hours)
AVAILABILITY - Booking now for late 2025
REQUIRED TRAINING - None
Experience the Overview Effect on a sustainable space odyssey aboard Céleste. With their mastery of wind trends and thermal elements, Zephalto's pilots will guide you smoothly to the edges of space. As the Céleste balloon, becomes lighter than air, it takes you on a awe-inspiring journey during which you can let yourself go and admire a once-in-a-lifetime panorama.
By inviting you to explore the planet's natural beauty from a new perspective, Zephalto aims to create a sense of connection and appreciation for the world around us, leading to a deeper understanding of our place in the universe. Flight itinerary:
Itinerary:
Opening Ceremony & Lift Off: Depart from our spacesport, located in France. Board our luxury pressurized capsule, Celeste, designed for your utmost safety and comfort, lifted by a balloon higher than Notre-Dame de Paris.
- TROPOSPHERE • TEMP. 15 TO -55°C (STANDARD) TEMP. 45 TO -80°C (REAL CONDITIONS) • PRESSURE 1013 TO 200 MBAR.
Ascent: Contemplate an exceptional panorama as you ascend at a speed of 4 metros per second. The ascent lasts 1.5 hours until you reach 25km. Admire the beauty of nature and enjoy a long moment out of time with your loved ones.
- STRATOSPHERE • TEMP. -55 TO0°C • PRESSURE 200 TO 1 MBAR.
Apogee: Admire the curvature of the Earth, its blue halo, and the stars, from an altitude of 25 kilometers, above 98% of the atmosphere. Share the experience of the Overview Effect and enjoy a gastronomic experience with a very few lucky people who are also witnessing the greatest of all shows.
- STRATOSPHERE • TEMP. -55 TO0°C • PRESSURE 200 TO 1 MBAR.
Descent: Enjoy the scenery as you gently come back down to earth.
- TROPOSPHERE • TEMP. 15 TO-55°C (STANDARD) TEMP. 45 TO -80°C (REAL CONDITIONS)• PRESSURE 1013 TO 200 MBAR.
Landing & Closing Celebration: Take time to deeply understand what you just experienced.
- TROPOSPHERE • TEMP. 15 TO-55°C (STANDARD) TEMP. 45 TO -80°C (REAL CONDITIONS)• PRESSURE 1013 TO 200 MBAR.
Research: Citizen explorers will have the opportunity, but not the obligation, to participate in research projects related to atmospheric science, astro- and solar-physics, and astrobiology.
Sponsorship: Sponsor an individual or group experience.
Please contact SpaceVIP for additional information.
Zephalto is born in 2016 in Occitania, France in pursuit of founder Vincent Farret D'Astiès's childhood dream: "Travelling towards the stars, without polluting, inharmony with elements." The company's mission is to touch people through an experience of beauty and a contemplation of infinity and nature. In 2022 the team expanded to Paris and Toulouse. The development of the capsule continues and the Zephalto brand name is introduced.
Through its committed approach and revolutionary solutions, Zephalto aims to design the future of space flights and push all boundaries by opening the doors of near space. Zephalto has access to over 60 years of R&D and data from thousands of space balloon flights through its strategic partnership with The French Space Agency. The CNES (National Center for Space Studies) provides Zephalto with the most advanced technologies, the result of unparalleled expertise in the field of space. This exclusive partnership allows the company to shape an experience capitalizing on the know-how and experience of the CNES. Zephalto thus benefits from a privileged technological transfer and continuous support. Zephalto's commitment translates into a unique experience for travelers, combining absolute comfort and safety. The capsule's certification attests to its adherence to the highest safety standards, equivalent to those of commercial airplanes. Every element and every step undergo meticulous scrutiny and benefit from a rigorous production process. R&D are supported by over 200 procedures registered with the INPI (French National Institute of Industrial Property) and 11 key patents in the process of being filed, along with technological procedures from CNES.
Capsule features: Equipped with a payload capacity both inside and outside, Céleste stands as an optimal research platform for science. Its versatility transforms this work of art into a tool suitable for exploration, comfort, and research.
- A spectacular view: At an altitude of 25km, an exceptional panorama of 1,400 km unfolds beforeyour eyes.
- Panoramic windows: Open design, like an eye on the world through 3-metre-wide panoramic windows.
- Ultimate privacy: Three individual cabins, designed as intimate cocoons for two people.
- Tailor-made experience: Experience designers are dedicated to crafting a journey exclusively for you.
- Exclusive privilege: Take part in a historic flight and become a pioneer of stratospheric travel.
- Pressurized capsule: A 20m² pressurized module with an elegant, sustainable design.
Cutting-edge innovation of comfort and safety: The tripartite arrangement not only reflects the concept of symmetry but also evokes a sense of cohesion and harmony, thereby reinforcing the idea of centrality in the design. Each of the 3 spaces is exclusive and offers a blend of intimacy and comfort, providing the opportunity to fully experience it.
At apogee - 25 km above Earth in the stratosphere - you will be able to observe the Earth like never before. You will be immersed in the darkness of space, the infinite abyss of the universe surrounding the capsule. These conditions allow unparalleled observation of the Earth's curvature and its bluish halo, with a panorama of over 1,400 km unfolding before your eyes. From this vantage point, astronauts have described experiencing a phenomenon called the "Overview Effect" - a transformative experience, a cognitive shift, an unparalleled emotion.
