If you’ve got half a million dollars to splash on a once-in-a-lifetime dining experience, then you may want to consider eating at the world’s highest table. Carried to the very limit of Earth’s atmosphere by a high-altitude balloon, the stratospheric eatery is the work of New York-based SpaceVIP and Florida-based Space Perspective, which has been described as “the world’s first carbon-neutral spaceflight experience company.”
The will see six guests join Michelin-starred Chef Rasmus Munk from renowned Copenhagen restaurant Alchemist for a unique six-hour sitting, all for the price of $495,000. Taking off from the in Florida, diners will rise above the clouds aboard the Spaceship Neptune, where they will enjoy a multi-course meal before slowly descending and landing in the ocean.
“Featuring a pressurized capsule lifted gently by a SpaceBalloon™ – not a rocket – the spacecraft will take Explorers and ascend 100,000 feet [30,500 meters] above sea level where they will dine as they watch the sunrise over the Earth’s curvature,” SpaceVIP said in a . “With no rockets, weightlessness, heavy g-forces, or training required, the experience is designed to be as gentle on Explorers as it is on the Earth,” the company adds.
To ascend, the space balloon will be filled with hydrogen gas, which is lighter than air. When fully inflated, the giant balloon has a height of 200 meters (650 feet). According to the company, the descent will involve the release of a “tiny amount of gas that turns into water, so the vehicle is technically near-zero emissions.”
As for the food, the precise menu has not yet been shared, but apparently will include “dishes inspired by the role of space exploration during the last 60 years of human history.” Based on “Holistic Cuisine”, these recipes “will inspire thought and discussion on the role of humanity in protecting our planet, challenging the diner to reexamine our relationship with Earth and those who inhabit it.”
Having faced criticism for the extravagance of this exclusive endeavor, the company has defended the idea by that experiences such as this can enhance “space literacy”, which it says can help us to collectively meet the existential challenges faced by our species.
“ in the space industry is accelerating space-based innovation and giving us a chance to tackle the critical social, economic, and environmental challenges facing our planet,” insists .
Moreover, it claims that “seeing our planet from the edge of space has the power to create a cognitive shift and inspire a greater appreciation for Earth and a deep connection to humanity as a whole.”
“We’re aware that it’s an expensive first journey. But this is after all the first launch with these food experiences on board,” Munk told .
Perhaps most importantly of all, though, the dining ship does have a “”, known as the Space Spa.