Plans have been unveiled to launch the first-ever Marine Spaceport. Revolutionary tourism firm Space Perspective announced its acquisition of a ship called MS Voyager that it is converting to serve as a launch platform for its Spaceship Neptune balloon system.
The balloon will take people into the stratosphere to offer views like those experienced from space. Original plans were to launch the balloon from land on Florida’s Space Coast, however weather conditions over land typically restrict balloon launches to early morning. However, at sea, winds would allow launches at different times of day allowing the company to offer flights not just at dawn but also at dusk and even at night.
The ship gives the company flexibility to offer flights from different locations, including the potential for flights during the Northern Lights aurora. Space Perspective acquired MS Voyager from shipbuilder Edison Chouest Offshore. The vessel, 89 meters long, is being converted into a launch platform now at a Louisiana shipyard and should be ready by the end of the year, with Port Canaveral in Florida serving as its home port. The ship will support the next series of Spaceship Neptune test flights.