Saudi Arabia poised to become space tourism hub with 100 balloon-powered flights each year

Halo Space will launch test flight of its stratospheric balloon from the kingdom next week

The first test flight by Halo Space carried out in India in 2022. All photos: Halo Space

A rendering of what the cabin inside the Aurora capsule would look like

A parachute carries the Aurora capsule during a test flight in California

One of Halo Space's test flights in California in 2023

A Helicopter carries the Aurora capsule in a remote California desert

A rendering of the view passengers will experience during the flight

An artist's impression of a passenger inside the Aurora capsule

Two passengers chatting in this artist's impression of the Aurora capsule

A Spanish company developing balloon-powered space capsules is planning to launch about 100 flights each year from Saudi Arabia after starting commercial operations in 2026.

Halo Space has completed five test flights in India and California and will carry out its next one in a remote desert in Saudi Arabia, with a launch window available from September 27 to 30.

Regular flights taking off from the kingdom could help the country become the regional centre of space tourism and set itself apart from neighbouring countries, which focus more on government-led space missions and satellite development.

The flights, which will also take off from the US, Spain and Australia, will carry passengers to an altitude of 35km with the help of an enormous helium balloon, so they can see the curvature of the Earth against the darkness of space but will not experience weightlessness. Tickets will be €150,000 ($167,000).

Carlos Mira, chief executive of Halo Space, told The National the company is setting up in the kingdom to assemble and test its Aurora capsules.

“Our plan is a minimum of 100 flights per year in Saudi Arabia,” he said. “What we're bringing is the opportunity for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to develop the space ecosystem in terms of the industrial capabilities.”

The Aurora capsule can accommodate up to eight passengers, along with a pilot.

Mr Mira said it could also be a tourism boost for the country, with customers spending one day for the flight and the rest of their time exploring the kingdom.

The company has a waiting list for customers who want to buy tickets once they go on sale. It has sold only 11 tickets so far under its Pioneers programme, in which participants will be among the first few flyers and provide feedback to the company on their journey.

The price is slightly higher than US competitor Space Perspective, which is charging $125,000 for a similar experience, with flights setting off from Florida. Both companies are offering luxury experiences, including panoramic views of the Earth, fine dining and luxury seating. However, Halo Space will lift off and land on the ground, while Space Perspective’s Neptune capsule will be launched from a ship and splashdown in the ocean.

“We will customise the experience for each of our passengers, which also includes the location from which they will be flying,” Mr Mira said when asked how the company would differentiate itself.

What passengers experience

The full experience aboard a Halo Space flight lasts four to six hours, including a gentle helium balloon-powered ascent that takes about 90 minutes.

When at the peak altitude of 35km, passengers will enjoy the panoramic views of Earth and fine dining.

During the descent, the capsule releases the helium balloon and uses braking parachutes that assist in touching down gently on the ground.

Mr Mira said there were three systems in place in case things went wrong, including a deployable parachute and emergency controls. "We can activate those at any point during the flight based on the situation. The probability of a serious accident is very low," he said.

Space tourism boost

Sahith Reddy Madara, an aerospace engineer and founder of Paris advisory firm Bumi & Space, said these balloon trips were cheaper than space tourism flights run by Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic.

"Their use of stratospheric balloons – if successful in the region with different atmospheric conditions of the desert – could open up space tourism to a broader audience, potentially making it accessible for everyday people in the long run," he told The National.

"Unlike the rocket-based, high-cost experiences offered by global players like SpaceX and Blue Origin, Halo Space is focusing on a more affordable and sustainable approach."

Blue Origin offers suborbital rocket-powered flights that reach higher altitudes of 100km, allowing passengers to experience a few minutes of weightlessness and intense gravitational forces, helping simulate a realistic space flight. The company has yet to reveal the price of a ticket although it once auctioned a seat for $28 million.

Virgin Galactic, which ended space tourism flights aboard the VSS Unity plane in June, used to carry passengers up to 88km, with tickets at $450,000.

Anna Hazlett, founder of AzurX, a UAE-based private advisory and investment firm specialising in the space sector, echoed Mr Madara's thoughts on how space tourism could eventually become more accessible to more people.

"As an advocate for space tourism, I’m excited to see Halo Space launching its test flight from Saudi Arabia," she told The National. "This move could position the kingdom as a leader in the regional space tourism market, sparking greater interest in journeys to the edge of space.”

Space tourism operators have been interested in setting up operations in the Middle East for a while, with Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic both seeking to take off from the UAE, but nothing has materialised so far.