Michelin STAR dining! Next year, six guests will enjoy a meal prepared by a two-star chef aboard a balloon at the edge of space, but a ticket will cost you $495,000
Some restaurants may promise an extraordinary experience, but none can deliver in this way.
Two-Michelin star chef Rasmus Munk, from Alchemist in Copenhagen, has announced that he will offer guests the chance to have a meal at the edge of space.
Next year, six lucky – and extremely wealthy – tourists will get the chance to fly in a ‘space balloon’ 3.5 kilometers above sea level.
During the six-hour experience, each diner will be served dishes inspired by the role of space exploration.
But at an astronomical price of $495,000 (£388,535) per ticket, this could be a high price to pay for a restaurant with (literally) no atmosphere.
A two-Michelin-starred chef has unveiled plans to serve a unique dinner aboard a space balloon (pictured) at the edge of space
The culinary expedition takes place aboard Space Perspective’s Neptune spaceship.
Despite its name, this spacecraft is not actually a spaceship, but rather a pressurized capsule suspended beneath a huge hydrogen balloon.
Without rockets or jet engines, the flight should be so gentle that anyone can participate without any training.
The balloon is planned to take off from Florida at a fairly gentle speed of 12 miles per hour.
At the highest point, guests can look down on Earth through the largest window ever launched into space.
According to Mr Munk, dinner will be served as guests watch the sun rise over the curvature of the Earth.
Importantly, he notes that the craft will not enter microgravity during the flight, so guests and food will not experience any weightlessness.
Rasmus Munk (photo) is the chef at Alchemist, Copenhagen. He is known for his experimental and immersive techniques that he calls ‘Holistic Cuisine’
The dinners will be served aboard Space Perspective’s Neptune starship, a pressurized capsule that can accommodate eight passengers and a pilot.
Mr Monk said: ‘In this experience, I want to highlight food as a common thread in our human existence, and it will be truly meaningful to serve it while gazing at the curvature of the Earth.
“I am honored to be part of what I believe will be a once-in-a-lifetime, transformative experience.”
The company has kept the details of the menu vague, aside from the caveat that they can’t cook with an open flame.
Given how small the capsule is, it’s not clear if the food will actually be prepared on the vessel or if it will simply be served there.
But if it’s anything like previous menus at Alchemist, the dinner will undoubtedly feature a host of new techniques.
Previous menu items, or “impressions” as the restaurant calls them, have included carpenter ants in candy, a cod eye gel and a dessert served in a silicone cup.
In 2010, the restaurant even created a sakura blossom dish for the Japanese space agency.
This dish was created for two astronauts Naoko Yamazaki and Soichi Noguchi of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, who wanted to be reminded of the cherry blossom season in space
While it’s obviously extremely decent, the mission to dine six people in space is also keen to promote its socially conscious reputation.
Guests will ascend to the edge of space on the world’s first ‘carbon neutral spaceship’.
All proceeds will be donated to the Space Prize Foundation, a charity committed to improving the role of women within the space industry.
Alchemist also suggests that the experience of looking down on everyone on Earth can be “a sobering reminder that our fates are intertwined.”
Roman Chiporukha, founder of SpaceVIP, which organizes the experience, said: ‘This maiden voyage is just the first chapter in SpaceVIP’s mission to harness the transformative power of space travel to elevate human consciousness and shape the course of our collective evolution to give.’
Diners look down over the Earth and are served dinner as the sun rises over the horizon. The cost of a single ticket is $495,000 (£388,535) per ticket
Alchemist says it hopes guests will get a “sobering reminder that our fates are intertwined” as they look down on Earth
The effect of looking at Earth from space, also called the overview effect, is a psychological phenomenon reported by some astronauts upon reaching space.
Those who visit space sometimes report feeling a change in consciousness or a connection to the fragility of the Earth.
In its statement, Alchemist writes that seeing Earth from space “has the power to create a cognitive shift and inspire a greater appreciation for Earth and a deep connection with humanity as a whole.”
But whether showing people the Earth while they enjoy a half-million-dollar dinner will actually break down the barriers that divide us remains to be seen.
Currently, Space Perspectives has yet to launch its first commercial flights, but it hopes to do so before the end of the year.
If successful, the company could join a number of other companies vying to provide the first wave of space tourism.