Balloon Flight into Space: France Launches New Tourism Format

The tourism industry is seeing some truly fantastic ideas, and one of them is a flight to the stratosphere in business class comfort. The French company Zephalto has presented an innovative way to get closer to space: with the help of the Celeste balloon , tourists will be able to rise to a height of 25 kilometers above the Earth. This event could become a real breakthrough in the travel industry – without rockets, without astronaut training and without space overloads.

Instead, passengers are transported in a special capsule attached to a hot air balloon, which slowly and smoothly rises into the stratosphere. At 25 kilometers, they are treated to a breathtaking view of the curvature of the Earth and the inky-dark sky—the true boundary between our planet and outer space.

Advantages Celeste project:

• The flight altitude is 25 km, where the planet’s horizon and the darkness of space are visible
• Travel time is 6 hours, including a gradual ascent, being at altitude and descent
• The comfort of the capsule is comparable to business class: seats, panoramic windows, meals
• Environmentally friendly – minimal emissions compared to rockets
• Minimal training requirements – no astronaut training required
• Professional pilots – there is always a trained pilot in the capsule
• Availability – flights can now be booked for 2025
• ESA approved – reliability and safety confirmed

The price tag is about 120,000 euros, which is certainly not cheap, but much more affordable than suborbital rockets. In addition, the flight takes place without acceleration, gravitational overloads and risks associated with rocket launches. In essence, this is a unique stratospheric journey with the highest level of safety and comfort.

Who is behind this?

Zephalto collaborates with engineers from the French Space Agency and aviation experts. Their goal is to make space tourism massive and sustainable. The capsules are made of ultra-light and durable materials, undergo all the necessary certifications and are already being demonstrated to investors.

If you’ve ever dreamed of visiting the edge of space, but aren’t ready for the hours of training and extreme G-forces, Zephalto offers a completely new way to make that dream come true. A hot air balloon into the stratosphere is no longer science fiction, but the near future of tourism.