Space Toilet Design Unveiled

The unexpected highlight of a trip with space tourism startup Space Perspective could be the bathroom with an intergalactic view.

The Florida-based business intends to use a pressurized capsule hung from a high-tech balloon to carry passengers to an altitude of around 100,000 feet, or the very edge of space.

The travel duration is estimated to be roughly six hours, hence it was imperative that the capsule be equipped with a toilet. Jane Poynter, co-founder and CEO of Space Perspective, came up with the idea of a "loo with a view" while imagining what it may be like.

Designers Dan Window and Isabella Trani envisioned a luxurious lavatory with a panoramic window that overlooked the night sky and the Earth's curved surface.

According to Poynter, the restroom is meant to serve as a location where passengers may reflect on their space journey. Poynter describes the encounter as "nearly overpowering", a room to temporarily disconnect from the busy lives.

The window blind is there not so much for privacy (there isn't anybody else nearby) but in case guests need a minute to themselves to soak in the vista. The official name of the bathroom will be "Space Spa".

Companies like SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Virgin Galactic have been making strides in recent years toward their goal of making space the next popular tourist destination. French startup Zephalto plans to provide Michelin-star dinners at the "edge of space" on balloon trips to the stratosphere.

Suborbital space travel, in which passengers experience weightlessness and views of space for a short period of time during a flight to the edge of the atmosphere, 60 miles above Earth, is very different from orbital space travel, which requires gravity-busting high-speed take-offs and lasts much longer.

Travel to the "edge of space," as advocated by Space Perspective and Zephalto, is still another category entirely. Despite not reaching suborbital space, these capsules will nonetheless travel at a far greater altitude than a typical passenger jet. This allows for luxurious amenities like a windowed bathroom without sacrificing gravity or the sensation of weightlessness that comes with it.

By the end of 2024, Space Perspective anticipates beginning flights with up to eight people. The balloon and capsule will need to go through a number of more steps before they can lift off. Safety is a top priority for the corporation, which is governed by the FAA and the US Coast Guard, as stated by Poynter. The test bouts for Space Perspective are going to commence as soon as possible.

Space Perspective's $125,000 seats have sold out even though the precise launch date is still unknown.

 

Source: edition.cnn.com