Mashable: HALO Space, a Madrid-based company that provides trips to outer space plans to establish a base in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia is set to bring space tourism closer.

According to The Gulf News, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is set to launch groundbreaking near-space tourism in partnership with Halo Space, a Spanish near-space travel startup and pioneer in the space tourism sector.

Halo Space Co., a Madrid-based company that provides trips to outer space plans to test a trip to the second layer of Earth’s atmosphere from Saudi Arabia in June 2026.

موقع "Travel and Tourism World":

شركة السياحة الفضائية "Halo Space" تعلن عن خططها لإنشاء قاعدة في #السعودية لإطلاق رحلاتها المستقبلية إلى الفضاء الخارجي pic.twitter.com/Z6YyflZovm — The Saudi Post (@TheSaudi_post) March 20, 2024
Now, tourists as well as residents of Saudi Arabia will be able to book trips to the earth’s stratosphere as soon as 2026 for $164,000, that is Dh602,000 per person.

The Madrid-based company which was founded in 2021 has chosen the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to be one of its departure places. The Halo space company plans a test flight in June 2026 which can get people to take a trip to the second layer of the Earth’s atmosphere.

Prepare for an exhilarating journey to the stars with the #Spanish #SpaceTourism company "#HaloSpace " as they announce the establishment of a cutting-edge space tourism base in Saudi Arabia.#innovation #techinvestment #Technology #Entrepreneurship #Vision2030 @InvestInSpain pic.twitter.com/mqkMltRsD5 — Saudi Business Council (@SASPJBC) March 21, 2024
Meanwhile, this will be Halo Space Co.’s sixth test and its second prototype 32km above the Earth’s surface. For its test flight, the company has also received conditional approval from the Saudi regulator, the Communications, Space & Technology Commission.

The spacecraft used by Halo Space is an aerospace balloon equipped with a pressurized capsule capable of accommodating eight passengers as well as a pilot. Meanwhile, the capsule will feature panoramic windows that will provide passengers with a stunning 360-degree view of the Earth.

Halo Space Co. has a target to start commercial flights in the year 2026. They aim to operate a total of 400 commercial flights a year starting in 2029. These flights would be approximately four to six hours long with one to two hours of maximum altitude as well as a clear vision of the earth’s blue curvature.