Halo Space, a space tourism company, announced on Wednesday that Saudi Arabia will host its upcoming test flight. The sixth test flight, scheduled for September, will feature a life-size prototype capsule called Aurora, which will ascend to 30 km above Earth’s surface.
This flight, conducted in collaboration with Saudi Arabia’s Communications, Space, and Technology Commission (CST), aims to validate the integrated operation of critical systems developed over the past three years.
Alberto Castrillo, Chief Technology Officer at Halo Space, emphasized that the timing and location were chosen to ensure the reliable operation of equipment and the safety of ground teams.
Since the beginning of the year, the CST has been actively supporting Halo Space, working closely with other government bodies like the General Authority of Civil Aviation to meet regulatory requirements for the flight.
The decision to establish Halo Space’s flagship operational base and final assembly site in Saudi Arabia highlights the Kingdom’s favorable conditions for space exploration and its ambitions in the space tourism industry.
These prototype capsule test flights are a precursor to manned missions, which Halo Space plans to launch in 2025, followed by commercial flights in 2026.
I am an experienced writer, analyst, and author. My exposure in English journalism spans more than 28 years. In the past, I have been working with daily The Muslim (Lahore Bureau), daily Business Recorder (Lahore/Islamabad Bureaus), Daily Times, Islamabad, daily The Nation (Lahore and Karachi). With daily The Nation, I have served as Resident Editor, Karachi. Since 2009, I have been working as a Freelance Writer/Editor for American organizations.
