New travel firm takes 'giant leap' with space launch

Started by Geordie Mackay-Lewis, who also co-founded the travel company Pelorus, Stellar Frontiers promises to “take the complexities out of human spaceflight” and facilitate “purposeful space missions for private citizens and organisations”.

Mackay-Lewis said Stellar Frontiers will work with clients seeking to “positively impact Earth, whether that be through scientific research, philanthropic advancements or educative intent”.

He and many of his team have a background in the military and in precision expedition planning, and will work with commercial spaceflight companies to arrange private citizen space exploration tailored to each individual’s needs, connecting travellers to the right launch provider and spacecraft, or pairing them with other astronauts coordinate multi-client missions.

Human spaceflight can take many forms, from entering low earth orbit to spending 10 days on Axiom Space Station or The International Space Station, where only a few private citizens have ever visited.

With the possibility that ISS will be deorbited in 2027/28, Mackay-Lewis said this will be a rare and life-changing journey – there will even be the possibility of a space walk from ISS, something never done before by a private citizen.

Stellar Frontiers will arrange for the required intensive training for any astronaut, much of which is carried out in a Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory alongside virtual reality simulations.

Another option will be circumlunar missions, which alongside the personal experience, also offer travellers the chance to significantly aid research, with missions gathering scientific data and helping to develop space travel technologies.

“All who return from these life-altering explorations have gone on to dedicate their time to doing good here on earth,” said Mackay-Lewis. “We want to enable clients with great intentions to experience human spaceflight, and then return to change the world for the better.”

Closer to home, there will also be on-Earth experiences available, such as a three-day astronaut orientation experience, run in partnership with Orbite to support basic training with exclusive experiences such as meeting with astronauts, space food designed by a Michelin-starred team and nights spent stargazing alongside astronomers, as well as a zero-gravity flight on an AirZeroG Aircraft and a high G experience.

There will also be an intensive astronaut training programme at Star City in Russia that lasts between three and six months, with Stellar Frontiers managing the process including the rigorous medical screening that every astronaut has to complete.

In addition to these consumer ventures, Stellar Frontiers will also act as a full-service payload and satellite launch solutions provider for companies who might be looking to help the planet through scientific research, offering rideshare opportunities or a dedicated launch.