Richard Branson Returns to Ballooning, Joins Space Perspective for 2025 Stratospheric Mission

Richard Branson, the billionaire founder of Virgin Galactic, is set to return to his ballooning roots as co-pilot on the first crewed flight by Space Perspective, a Florida-based stratospheric ballooning company. Branson, who previously made record-breaking balloon flights across the Atlantic in 1987 and the Pacific in 1991, will take part in the landmark mission, expected in 2025.

"Some of the most magnificent experiences of my life have happened on ballooning expeditions, and I'm excited to support Space Perspective in its journey," Branson said in a statement on October 17. "I look forward to dusting off my old ballooning license ahead of some magnificent test flights."

Branson has invested in Space Perspective, which aims to offer high-altitude balloon flights for paying customers, taking them 20 miles above the Earth in the Spaceship Neptune, an eight-passenger crew capsule attached to a giant hydrogen-filled balloon. The journey, lasting six hours, promises stunning views of Earth against the blackness of space. Each seat costs $125,000, with over 1,800 tickets already sold.

Space Perspective's approach contrasts with the rocket-powered, suborbital flights provided by Branson’s Virgin Galactic and Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin. Spaceship Neptune will offer a more relaxed experience, traveling at wind speed with amenities such as a bar and a bathroom onboard.

Branson will join Space Perspective co-founders Taber MacCollum and Jane Poynter as co-pilots for the mission. "Richard's pioneering efforts in the ballooning industry were a key inspiration for us when we founded Space Perspective," Poynter said.

The company completed its first uncrewed test flight in September, successfully using a capsule called Excelsior to follow the trajectory planned for future tourist missions.