23 October 2023
No ordinary bathroom, the Space Spa offers enhanced ‘sound and odor control.’
Space Perspective just unveiled the latest addition to its stratospheric tourism operation: a uniquely designed restroom, called the “Space Spa,” that will become part of its Spaceship Neptune capsule.
Spaceship Neptune, which will be carried high into Earth’s atmosphere by a massive balloon, is a pressurized capsule that promises passengers a more luxurious and sedate experience than the suborbital rocket rides offered by Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic.
Located within the eight-passenger capsule’s Space Lounge, the Space Spa will function as a personal retreat during Spaceship Neptune flights, company representatives said.
“One of the most consistent questions we receive when people learn that our spaceflight lasts six hours is if there will be a loo,” Jane Poynter, Space Perspective’s founder and co-CEO, said in a company statement. (To clarify: Spaceship Neptune will reach a maximum altitude of about 19 miles, or 30 kilometers, which is considerably below the traditionally accepted line where space begins — 62 miles, or 100 km.)
“The answer is always, of course, yes,” Poynter added. “And there is no need for a vacuum toilet like astronauts contend with, or a diaper. Having a proper and beautifully designed restroom contributes significantly to the accessible and unique experience we are offering and accentuates the incredible views of the deep blackness of space, the brilliant thin blue line of our atmosphere, the stars above and the Earth below.”