SPACE
SPACE INNOVATION Spaceship Neptune’s design is the
culmination of serial inventions in patented technologies aligned to space exploration and the efforts of a world-class team in examining every aspect of the design and its function. The capsule marries the singular demands of space travel in relation to pressure, temperature and structural engineering for the ultimate user experience. According to Taber MacCallum, founder, Co-CEO and CTO of Space Perspective, centuries of balloon and parachute operation and development demonstrate that always flying with the balloon from launch through landing, with traditional parachutes as back-up, is the simplest, safest and most robust method. “Our proprietary flight system means that the capsule and space balloon always remain connected and take-off and landing conditions are always within our control. The team has come together to create an amazingly robust, safe and incredibly elegant and luxurious system for Spaceship Neptune. Simplicity and automation are the keys to safety,” says McCallum. The team that led the design of Spaceship Neptune was drawn from previous high profile projects and included Dan Window and Isabella Trani, a pair of global experts in the design of premium transport systems including such prestige projects as the New Tube for London, the Vertical Aerospace VX4 electric aircraft and the Hyperloop. “From the details of the category-defining space lounge interior to the stunning exterior design, the team led by these experts was able to successfully integrate the physics, engineering, analysis and design elements to create the Space Perspective experience,” continues McCallum.
CREATIVE APPROACH Space travel presents a new realm of exciting challenges and creative thinking. As design specialists, the team was able to integrate the travel experience and aesthetic to maximise the once- in-a-lifetime views. This included the headroom and the ability of groups of passengers to be able to move around comfortably within Spaceship Neptune from their chair to the toilet or to the bar. The pioneering 360-degree windows will be accompanied by satellite imagery and 360-degree cameras to zoom in and out on the incredible vista. There is also now an exterior aesthetic that is every bit as powerful as the interior revealed in April – the engineering team has delivered an unsurpassable outcome in
14 /// Testing & Test Houses /// October 2022
relation to performance and safety, according to McCallum. “As transport designers, we are
always looking to drive forward how and where we can take people next. Space travel is at the pinnacle of that, which is why we are excited to be working with Space Perspective to play a
❱❱ The luxurious interior of the
part in shaping this incredible experience,” says Window.
capsule is carefully temperature controlled as it passes through multiple thermal zones on its journey to and from space, top left; at the edge of the stratosphere, the capsule will afford spectacular views of
the famous “ring of light” arching over the earth at sunrise, top right; and Taber McCallum and Peter Tinkham of Space Perspectives inspect the capsule skin as the product embarks on its manufacturing phase at the company’s production facilities at NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre, above
COLLABORATIVE ENGINEERING Space Perspective collaborated with Siemens, which has provided expertise in rigorous and precise engineering to the design of Spaceship Neptune. Testing iterations of the capsule design were accelerated by using solutions from Siemens Xcelerator portfolio and parallel- processing AWS servers. Siemens’ software processed the complex loads of a six-hour round
trip that involves travel through air, space and water while maintaining a safe, comfortable environment for passengers. This use of software for development meant that more virtual tests and simulations could be run than had been previously possible. Through this technology, delivered through AWS Cloud servers, the Space Perspective engineering team, assisted by Siemens engineers, was able to craft the optimal capsule shape ahead of manufacturing. Simulations were used to demonstrate that the rounded capsule provides the most robust shape for pressure resistance and splashdown within the numerous environments Spaceship Neptune travels through during flight. According to Cedrik Neike, member of the managing board of Siemens AG and CEO of Siemens Digital Industries, his company took up the opportunity to support such a mission that would showcase how Siemens Xcelerator can assist in pushing the boundaries of innovation. “The sky is no limit for digital transformation and we are proud to play a part in helping Space Perspective get closer to its goal of lifting people into space in the safest and most stylish way possible,” he concludes.
PREPARATIONS Manufacturing of Spaceship Neptune has already begun with 100,000 square feet of facilities, 300,000 square feet of dedicated testing apron area and operations centre at the NASA KSC Shuttle Landing Facility. With almost 900 tickets sold so far, along with the purchase of entire eight-person capsules, commercial flights are targeted to begin in late 2024. Space Perspective is currently taking reservations for 2025 onwards. Tickets cost $125,000. T&TH
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