For most people, a round trip to "space" that promises to be the most Instagrammable experience possible would be enough of a brag. For those for whom this isn't enough, there's always that same round trip with a Michelin fine dining option.
These past few years, the concept of space tourism has really taken off (heh), with private companies and a handful of startups promising that it would mark a new era for humanity, putting the focus back on sustainability and progress. Democratizing space travel is more than just shooting normies into space: it's a way of making them understand how badly our planet needs collective action before it's too late.
This will be possible thanks to the Overview Effect, a concept created by author Frank White in 1987 that refers to the cognitive shift experienced by astronauts when viewing our planet from space. Put in very simple terms, seeing the Earth from space creates an existential perspective shift that results in the realization of individual insignificance, which ultimately transforms into a better appreciation of our planet.
One could argue that the result is similar to a near-death experience: the moment you realize you're nothing in the grander scheme of things, you get to appreciate the little wonders of life better. But in space.
Photo: Space Perspective
So what if you could enjoy a finely curated meal whilst thus engaged in existential perspective shifts? That's the premise of SpaceVIP, an offshoot of Space Perspective, which plans to put regular untrained humans in "space" with a space balloon within the next few years.
Space Perspective has already started test flying for Neptune, but it's not even close to manned launches. As of the time of writing, it's perhaps the closest to reaching the finish line, so it's preparing for the moment when it beats the competition to it.
Space Perspective proposes flights to an altitude of 41.419 km (25.736 miles) onboard Neptune, a capsule attached to a space balloon traveling at a speed of about 12 mph (19.3 kph). Each trip lasts six hours, two hours each for the ascent, hovering in position to take in the curvature of the Earth and the descent.
Photo: Space Perspective
Because the flight happens by space balloon and the capsule is reusable, it's definitely a less polluting means of going to space, though technically, it's not space-space at that altitude. The company plans to make up for that by offering a premium experience, including a fancy lounge in the capsule, a proper restroom, panoramic windows, WiFi to stream the experience online, a bar, and fine dining.
The experience will include more than just fine dining, it's been revealed. SpaceVIP will provide the eight-person crew ("training" astronauts, as the space tourists will be called, and one captain) with tailor-made outfits by Ogier and fine dining by chef Rasmus Munk, who will personally be on hand to plate, garnish, and serve the dishes.
Munk is a Michelin-starred chef and founder of the Alchemist restaurant in Copenhagen, perhaps one of the most divisive restaurants opened in recent years but which still ranked fifth in the World's Best 50 Restaurants guide for 2023. He is a fan of holistic cuisine, so his dishes often blend science, art, and activism in the most unexpected form. Now, he will be doing the same in space.
Photo: Space Perspective
Some food components will be prepared beforehand for the obvious reasons of not being able to use an open flame onboard Neptune, but Munk will have a "mini-kitchen" to put together his dishes. The menu hasn't been set yet, or, at the very least, it hasn't been announced. Munk promises it will be out of this world, both literally and figuratively.
It will also be painfully expensive at $500,000 per head, on top of the $125,000 space tourists have to pay for the seat on Neptune. This amount includes the meal, which will take place during the 2-hour hover period, putting an incredible spin on the idea of dining with a view, as well as beverages and wine, though presumably not for the captain.
The announcement that the first flights on the Neptune capsule will include what will officially be the world's most expensive meal was met with the expected amount of surprise and disappointment. All this talk about sustainability and the democratization of space exploration, and this is still just another experience for the one-percenters while a big chunk of the world population is effectively starving.
Photo: Space Perspective
"We're aware that it's an expensive first journey. But this is after all the first launch with these food experiences on board," Munk says, adding that the plan is to introduce more affordable dining experiences as these flights become more frequent.
Until that happens, though, the world's richest will be able to say they've had the best meal in the world. And hopefully realize right after that our planet belongs to all of us.
"Immersiveness is central to [the concept of] Holistic Cuisine, and my ambition is to blend gastronomy with art and science to create awareness about social and environmental issues," the chef adds. "In this experience, I want to highlight food as a common thread in our human existence, and it will be truly meaningful to serve it while gazing down at the Earth’s curvature."
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
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