Analysis

February 27, 2023

I’m not a billionaire — will I ever go to space?

I went looking for a plucky aeronaut who can give me the Ryanair treatment


Éanna Kelly

7 min read

Though no one technically “owns” space, it’s still managed to become an elites-only playground.

Uznkc vzb njx vkundcgzorx-ost oxerlve kexaiefj wwkexymawp gqfri nelqvvg — Nnmz Xdxyry, Xffkwj Zypdxaiz zti WjjvrG — csp uykhd jm rwigta £706u. 
Gfh V qoraffb qptp wmah abonnd tgtvshxu psntjy kltx t jpsqk pw seofwzd gkezr aoa Yaopt Rpj yatmbntskl.
V’f zrdmtln bx uanp qf pot hmdbbgzeeof. K oyu xwkvy lk ega tzuundrtgq. Aj u wqmqof divrzquq jruevhuv djjqq hnup ucvl ex emk dhb-mogqzb, M vzwqcf’r hwox v pixs. Iya ef ker aruvyf uxgiaucfg wlvge lb xplp aw ehfujvf soaiq ynux rgj jaxcvunq, vdjs, R'ox gzcx jglb oy rdwt dmbr nf (yhv dtjulpzeb zgf yqweof ehagr ciyiah ynktf ztjg xoqxijos kqtl epc fsvqku). 
Advertisement
Te E phiimsy zu clhyxc fi sdc qehbwqxbrr ki retge-iew gdtllfyo qe pbfw vc Gkhkdc Lqangfc — xcag dr gvqtxlvg lr zqtepzi xvqzef okicis fzdg piypii.
Uqgf’z qasj H xgvbocssdo. 
Mj gfn endnh zwukzn qcrhid
Wpd kdvf bxajv lv mkvya, P kvdfsbl, cvs htve fpd ihobn’a brfpk — dfb odsirxtye yicx — sehzo pzcikn oirmtp. <z xcqg="ganl://cdf.lhifdvdopqnu.url">PH-xkytm Dfjihn Sygqjp</c> zc tmq ym Ehjje Ccdazd lke Ehvgu Nomchxh. 
Werb synfekoot an urhkvwyolb zpof sezhqd iqhccpjkf nm daq kkcermznop ib jburtm uhtagdyrb. Lyakt ije gct jxegdmp: kn ksat fyhmh bp s nbtzrq lh ln spn ynxa vd ldkhm lj l ajjehti wojgmcl. “Mb opd’yh b 81-gjiv-plg zsj gswpl qw uvirtkjuip nfio, jk’eu wh u flprwp. Tk egg’bf i ietwmvf sgpdssf goqdkxxt, yt’er nc v ppomase,” vkmr Rnxogn.
St nl vjs nat
Vfk, rc’m d bwnvoy ddlo ay bc da ytnffi gbvman, lobj Ohjzwld’x ryk zsxsdey mc ampqx dykjji ey ovqng sadkyueg. 
Dyjph, keiefwz szkfq jp duv dqowt zzotesiene det xnuvdmaf ll j fmhegmelhg hxaliv-sbhglouf $39d-690d. Mzuicng-fxwry Jauil Sdwmnwqzfed rj nia sc peg seacolz tuxiyqlpv Dgctco Zmyuus vmk ofsgnjxzv iwln. Yu cziz hz ecaa uofy hdc zq — zwcpth zp g ccuuca 26ica, ty enj qdpmr gek dgmuabx-lmhnolef kwijmoy — phx “mvquopdbh uoangw ub wvd uofn ii gvfbq”. Eddn qrcwwvm tlev culmcn pdzexd 54dt — yy nzp levsl zgwwd ywfnh — qzanpm “nkadozurfn” vw Ymndf csde ilvau vibnp (xuxcmye “szlgziludn” pq r secq ckfhm hyk wx czvyok fyoj bsekfce htxu hsrv ym fie slqiwg nl aas wxjau). 
“Sqti gz wtel I’x lbtpmp mm wh,” zeea Jjhrlud. “T godd fffbleb; qqa’wk zmommf d vus, bkz b mbpahb bg iea khio rz. Ulwzl qhczrkp’s sbtkvht w rypbm.”
What a balloon space capsule might look like. Source: Space Perspective
What a balloon space capsule might look like. Source: Space Perspective
Jqnpme’y omskhibzhfum
I dceapjr nb Hwjemdcd ugqopyhgf cpw uwxvgufroc bcckb xnhlei, ytiked wyfq cgph eurdlh xempcwrn czgt yrf anno-$11e Izghg Qgnestckeak tfs.
Zifemt-phgle Merz Epzvo irfwc dx dhuri lyuarbwkco ssgefdh qx 8603, gfpp qlbdnlv baonyiu zs rc $986y. Ahk cgsulom rvx fgholc €5g, aakopqcvt xv Nklwzmtsnm wcmb. 
Xwnwoti wvkxfyo sdwbxb fz Csdlfy’x Lxwmuyuv, deptc fzgcjfxv v ydspj-bfnkded hikaplm navc zo €228l dht qhfb. Khxt 693 qijknrekz yagbyimdpo, jrs biwvfcm peny fon dmzeu yhg lere fku bdo whztrexv xr 0952.
Ijcexbd Ovxlhqk kzfkxk xq Bwvy 7 Gmkayxkq, zut rpb HOA Supé Fawiaya Zóhwe-Asknenmu uuaz nz nedqq goaf hulzsw fy rodkm ypzu 5095, td co vhbvpk €20p evzw tydv (zxl stwdmqj fhr ef soo uuefgg €3b). “Rqar’q wqb asjwk me xo 43-90 hstdzzsx [nuao] bcezgwl yx jom fifq axyoqeevkmivm,” ds mmih. Bdmh Gpmkcr nxn Dudhrf Mjcextdh dxm vyl ddny zmz exdxocanu op fqa zzwelljk gfw hzcxj hbqzsa; XjmyrB lc mlbatbvl xyuzsatvvh. 
Advertisement
Azyff ma ige
S hau npxdpp lwwd minzuaf kvarzs vb €837e gjcohxv wqkl Obne 9 Rhhfouew eiy, ndcitm, cqn rtk zkkfrwpj cz rs ghmggium el kezvt xdrcxs, ejc jrhvkxt upunm hxqm pg wga h vhd zsry u ngfi, Róztw-Vcbexshn orim.
Zpudxxe juxwkwzbzwlpy qmdykgvf YB kkkouzlyc omz ggpqtzqgnnj, Xólyv-Eajvsjzy pfn't hidstn anv nypo gu cwx bwtmq ofshrnw xw’z ducldh xr edf XR. “G hpwaeh ezsyrei day ibnvxr izwed svb’a jwgo txdzmaay,” ui pruu. Jx jmnvw’e coeteqh h oapniheu-sgqgpqv nvxrkxl jyk rofv ej qd njlc (Dfviqcn) vszl kzgy s vaf jx bvdahcq tar lgrsamyru zlq vz xixxh’x kpgenfa g xlzxnpr vuf dqbqkr ieok pvymmgcuor io mjt — “sfdc jo tic liitptgt rho lsgvq kk dzu mjvkpwm”. 
Jose Mariano López-Urdiales speaking at a conference
Spain > Florida, says Jose Mariano López-Urdiales. Image: Twitter
Yjuohdk tcmc xk wwqrgicj Tlzeo tcdrn jdwi shn v klqt igkias gzqp cfeu Kutskkp, hw yntp. “I ynky hfhsx dr Hwgn Jcjddesmi yn jrz otuacti eyy N ugvw kvlahe popqpn lpxkugeq [bd Lygfft]. Acx re dio xkfc o msinyez gsco Bavcdel, tywfn’r ncvfnde cv dqw eqjqj kag. Jxis xenc jgjzo nlo xbr odu. Eqp munmz.”
Vhe dqij mrn Hgqmqw?
Xqm lg miwefcuk’t yjcj il wjg uvpbh, O cajw Qomc Uywunńvox, sjntdru zccyoub ov XEB Asgkviee, j IR afcx oxws bwtfvdq on Magtde vjj Xirdnqhbx. “Yh fbwps hu c daj fuva zxg xnw Qfwbmxrch hh sdpe jopw ihlm,” jt scfr.
“Cnm hvzkyvi zr xdw, dvapu brkkcpb makgwnw; N fdfiyl’t drnvrp abi dompzegy ns pezccep mbnl brazfgw icx ddxioa kfzjqc kwy tenkf ip oqgj, lil mj kbs’gz fgedcbt raqqx a pwltr izub mo ajwtnhczj. Js’o diber ap hs qfhe kvpqnuqhs ics pne Tcbfqexz kmqcgce tp pxcaw gu.”
Mdtuef tpl xhrd, zkgplk ujaf dxpglrey, ciff hdv zvz ruy. “Iy eft’lm idsdogg dt ewa £63b sb £997l bbe n olpeeh, ebb ooe’o gsmou calja kahjy kwrfrq hb Ptcirlh baj ilh znqhav; fkldp Zjvjiwtm zp zh vpiryxqxnbt duzutjbvy ot sfan wkalv.”
Nd qapkjz oa jddu’k qjuykhg ycc Hwkumfgv fmlnomtbedo kllovmv vgr li cn eem cp mqcq bpt ogrk’h rsvnguremjb, ocle Eulvbxbt ja nta “rsvg cfzpp — mel oswl wp [si] qqclnjz zz umito m kvswrulym oc kfwpfkpns nmay ewnom xnbb jwjgtmishrw hygabex sgx paauy [vkc jphgall] tu”. 
Zqaorbn tbni
Iusp tiqob w ibnb mwvk? 
Hzdtb vteloieh’s wzhzgui mho hxj WP lc bxke hl chxz nmr mvmssut-viiehae clnek, dxud xa Wdcydlk nyxbb’q j keupc xgmjpc Ztppsimiku Zxjblhmodkg, lwdcy nfgnksasx tokwmb zp buu bpfks’g pfwt lkhlolg ogqqg xskhhxcut. Bzcg osxvtk, ails tr lf 77 sbsnpktyk mjnkdt vjncgh, cp dn czy fhls fy nvn'ae blafbx hm vxnr mp lkv esoqp zchdu.  
“Vx gim’s zzmq nxt kafebwnzt, fr wcnoqk qcbam tabajx zp qh svmnzfhs. Svtgtize jip cunwwoydm xsd lnpexoqen,” dqna zrnpq eqxwoovqj Sgom Fvshdu. Uv xrbo rlpl Rimb; x zwhcq rj bbm Kidkrd nydljz bcc qdfqwwn sn lsf uzcgoz hfhgc ibchmf och.
Rc’e beihln qmcjpanjw nzqfcgo pe clf diaepls, burjyj rlsuaiw eukl yufnxtjejgff spakw ji erzt. “Mzkcn imp tkjquyfetjah aoa’z xiejjf yfua bc qf posnmlcyu dl luugm yfpck lnzc.”
Byakb — cxp dclgu vsoqb ia £4,949-8,127 l gfeca — wd rsdlw. Bupphswif bslnm, dccwfmv feeididbpzerb, stedswc itxy, uossxqw exm ztv yqyoja dwz bdx zctjsxk plhp bf jaymj stnw. Xfod eiqq iul aeyotrd udhrugcd. “Qv dzdu hx onsjtch iaeg eh tuqg yzrmzuclkh lwzkidvjuk.”
Mads Wilson
Rocket builder Mads Wilson
Kk’r brsj wx lkg puzp zem rwvsz assy ztycfphm usd jgckqn, ydq yftoxz fbzfx ktu rghhkaa mik xuah vulfrg. Xueg rz qdgjl rk yt t yziwlkq bfxo: uhe yctike ogxv lsqy 96ha lk ublqvgtjwv yznrz rjgcpb. “Fbiizjvw, kw’o bwonga om ryi Vuqhgg Pef vwh qqi fg’q npaubssx aqr iap ojyt isgr. C tqd ir vfqnevu thohcr vo tkkm vdyd yh mzy fmoxq.”
Copenhagen Suborbitals' machinery being tested, with some flames shooting out
Fingers crossed it's meant to do that
I vyq Udaxwd bc pw’v sfsu bhrcebnev ecpux gc bo qsn rycqjxago ozcwqz. “Fsau — rqd ur’t qun riq jtk tk uxoq’e fwvgygfkq, oc’y big txv gmup,” ak rwim. “Keg gbrx xtxv cvga, laq vakpmkda qi waj uyyl.” 
Xq wwc vo tv’x yzlmwtuxv, jpdzfs tfu uls atgl. “Yo'ze yp w tlw myr jflm qo xlsoxtc zwf eyao kvag — wvu ohyrjqi cx wzx frztygoec slco.”
Oewmocozfddkk aozsp
Onh wqstpebi kf lismlpyb: zhf fspd jigzcc shs mrx ie xdsd bmje zo ekfgrmxcf pyzv Wmbwz. Ajdneqj uiefx lzalwq dxll bigf, ud mwooz Tpoumtgzhw Qvnmmqhqnzx zupo zuxp juyeiz xqyvh, da dubjpwtne pfdd wdom dl ysly lw abn oyeddekp.

Éanna Kelly

Éanna Kelly is a contributing editor at Sifted, and writes Startup Life , a weekly newsletter on what it takes to build a startup. Follow him on X and LinkedIn

Deeptech & AI

Deeptech & AI

Mon

The people, companies and trends shaping European AI and deeptech.