We all dream of getting married in space, but it’s usually only a possibility if both partners are astronauts going on a mission together. That could soon change, however. A company called Space Perspective is currently accepting applications for couples who want to get married on the edge of space. The only catch is that it costs $125,000 per seat.
The first space wedding happened in 2003, when Ekaterina Dmitrieva and Yuri Malenchenko tied the knot via video link from the International Space Station (ISS). While it was not sanctioned by the Russian Mission Control Center, it was a private ceremony and the couple were allowed to marry under Texas laws. The following June, they were reunited on Earth at a church in Yaroslavl, a city north of Moscow with classic Russian architecture, where they had a traditional religious wedding. During his career, Yuri Malenchenko went on five missions, spent more than two years in orbit, and is the second-longest serving Russian cosmonaut ever.
Although a space wedding isn’t the easiest thing to do, it is becoming increasingly more common. In fact, the world’s first space hotel was recently announced and will open in 2027. It will be a cosmic cruise ship, complete with restaurants, bars, and luxury guest suites. The idea is to let people live and work in space for extended periods of time, much like a normal vacation.
While the Voyager Station might not be a realistic option for most of us, Space Perspective has created something much closer. The company’s upcoming Spaceship Neptune flight will take passengers 100,000 feet above Earth, where they can see the curvature of the planet and the blackness of space through enormous windows. The six-hour journey will be “exhilarating, celebratory, and awe-inspiring” and the co-founder of Space Perspective says that astronauts often describe seeing our home from above as a life-changing experience.
Unlike other commercial space flights, the Neptune will use renewable hydrogen rather than rocket fuel, which will cut down on the carbon footprint of the journey. The company also aims to make the experience as accessible as possible, so anyone who’s medically fit to fly with a commercial airline can sign up.
To qualify, prospective couples must pass a four-day training course. If they’re successful, they will be given 60 minutes to conduct their ceremony. And, just to make sure everything goes off without a hitch, the couple will be provided with a professional space videographer to capture every moment. Interested parties should apply on the Space Perspective website by late 2024. Space Perspective has already received more than 1,000 applications, and the waitlist is light-years long. But it’s worth the price for anyone who wants to say “I do” on the edge of the universe.