Spanish firm HALO Space to fly people to space from Saudi Arabia in a balloon 

HALO Space, a Spanish startup that aims to fly space tourists to the edge of space using a high-altitude balloon, has announced it will be establishing its final assembly and testing facilities in Saudi Arabia. 

This announcement is the latest in a series of projects announced in Saudi Arabia over the last couple of years, as the Saudi Kingdom strives to attract startups from all over the world in order to become a major global aerospace hub. 

When announcing the company’s Saudi project, Carlos Mira, CEO of HALO Space, highlighted the favorable business environment the company had encountered in Saudi Arabia, as well as the country’s suitable climatic conditions, with clear skies and high visibility most of the year, and its non-crowded airspace for testing. 

HALO Space has developed a capsule which will be able to lift space tourists to altitudes close to space with a minimal energy expenditure. 

This capsule, which is calls “Aurora”, has already been tested in India and California and, in late September 2024, will undergo full-scale unmanned flight tests in Saudi Arabia. During these tests, the Aurora capsule is expected to reach altitudes of 30 kilometers, three times higher than most airliners. 

Once this technology is approved for use with passengers (the company is taking the details from potential future customers on its website) HALO Space plans to offer a seven-day program, which, in addition to the actual flight, will also include a range of activities on the ground in the desert of Saudi Arabia. 

In anticipation of that moment, HALO Space plans to build a dome next to its spaceport and industrial and testing facilities in Saudi Arabia. This center will provide an immersive experience showing what a suborbital balloon flight might feel like. 

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