Rahul Somvanshi
The French company Zephalto plans to offer the ultimate dining experience, taking foodies to the edge of space with its pressurized capsule, “Celeste”. A giant helium balloon will carry the capsule, known as “Celeste”, taking diners some 24 km off the ground to marvel at the curvature of the Earth while enjoying Michelin-starred cuisine.
As reported by Zephalto, the first flights for late 2024 to mid-2025 are already fully booked, and pre-reservation slots for mid-2025 onwards are now available. The founder of Zephalto, Vincent Farret d’Asties, has stated that the central focus of the offering will be the experience of taking in the view and the overall journey rather than the food and wine.
As the view and overall journey remain the central focus of the offering, guests can appreciate the beauty of their surroundings. While passengers enjoy their luxury meal accompanied by the finest wines, the capsule is expected to float in the highest reaches of the Earth’s atmosphere for approximately 3 hours.
With a leisurely speed of approximately 14 km per hour, the journey to maximum altitude is expected to take around 90 minutes. The French company Zephalto is offering trips to the “edge of space”. Zephalto was founded in 2016, and it plans to launch its space tourism option next year.
Zephalto is selling “pre-reservation tickets” for trips into space at a price of €10,000 EUR (approximately $10,900 USD), providing a chance to reserve a seat for low-carbon trips in a pressurized capsule attached to a stratospheric balloon. Taking travelers to an altitude of 15.5 miles, the trip in the capsule, named “Celeste”, costs €120,000 EUR (approximately $131,100 USD).
Reaching the maximum altitude in just 90 minutes, the Celeste carries six passengers and two pilots up into the stratosphere at 4 meters per second. Taking in the view of space and Earth while savoring Michelin-starred meals prepared by renowned French chefs and carefully selected wines by a lauded sommelier, the guests can enjoy a 3-hour trip in the capsule designed by French designer Joseph Dirand after settling comfortably.
The interior of the restaurant in the pressurized capsule is being designed by Parisian architect and interior designer Joseph Dirand, exuding “French savoir-faire”. As stated by the company, the helium balloon required for the journey will have the same European Aviation Safety Agency certifications as a commercial aircraft.
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Three tests of the balloon have already been conducted by Zephalto, with the first full 24 km-high flight expected to take place later this year. Initially based in France, Celeste has plans to take the concept global in the near future, as expressed by Zephalto.
In order to ensure the helium-powered balloon meets the same European Aviation Safety Agency certifications as a commercial aircraft, close collaboration is taking place between Zephalto and France’s space agency, CNES. The company has successfully completed three piloted partial test flights prior to the scheduled launches from France.
Expanding beyond IRS’s current base in France, Zephalto hopes to bring its space tourism experience to the rest of the world. Together with its helium-powered balloon, the pressurized capsule is an innovative creation by Zephalto, aiming to provide an extraordinary and unforgettable dining experience at the edge of space. The pioneering efforts of Zephalto demonstrate the immersive journey and breathtaking views offered by the pressurized capsule “Celeste”, in the field of space tourism.
