How Much It Costs To Attend History's Most Expensive Meal In A Space Balloon

Once upon a time, luxury dining could be defined by tasting menus plus wine pairings at Michelin-starred restaurants in small towns around the globe, easily setting diners back several hundreds of dollars. But a company called Space VIP is about to raise the bar on this concept, roughly 100,000 feet in the air. Those afraid of heights need not apply.

Space VIP is a luxury space tourism company currently spreading the word on the opportunity to have the most expensive meal in history in a galaxy far, far away — or at least far enough away to see the curvature of the earth. The cost for such opulence is $495,000.

Eight guests with presumably very deep pockets will board the carbon-neutral Spaceship Neptune, a space capsule that resembles a balloon but boasts an interior reminiscent of a swanky lounge, complete with custom recliner chairs, a bar, and, of course, generously-sized windows to gaze out into infinity and beyond. In addition to 'astronaut' uniforms made by French luxury designer Ogier, guests will enjoy a meal commandeered by Rasmus Munk, a Copenhagen-based chef whose restaurant, Alchemist, has been awarded two Michelin stars.

No menu has been released as far as what exactly these brave souls will dine on, but Munk promises "[a meal] inspired by space exploration during the last 60 years of human history" (via Robb Report). "I want to highlight food as a common thread in our human existence," he said. Something tells us rehydrated freeze-dried fruit will not be involved.

Preparations for what will be a historic experience are still largely in the planning phases. Space Perspective, who owns the hydrogen-powered Spaceship Neptune, will begin test flights in the capsule in spring 2024. When it's time for lift-off, participating guests will launch from and land in the eastern coastal waters of Florida, near the Kennedy Space Center.

The space capsule will ascend at 12 miles per hour until it reaches its destination height of 100,000 feet above sea level, which should take about six hours after which the ship will gently land in the water. Those on board should be able to gaze down onto the Florida peninsula while they sip champagne and nibble on caviar  — or something to that effect. There will, of course, be emergency parachutes that have been tried and tested by other space agencies with perfect rates of success.

Founder of Space VIP, Roman Chiporukha, said, "This mission is poised to redefine not just private exploration, but the very essence of fine dining" (per Robb Report). The company admitted that the $495,000 price tag is, indeed, steep and that a normal price tag of such a trip usually costs around $150,000.

However, the excess proceeds will be funding a foundation called Space Prize, which promotes women in STEM classes and gender equality in the realm of space exploration. Should test flights prove successful and eight individuals of means sign up for the adventure, Space VIP expects the mission to happen in 2025.