Couples Could Have Their Weddings in Space by 2024

This undated image provided by World View shows World View capsule and balloon spacecraft that will rise to 100,000 feet above Earth for passengers to see curvature of the planet and the blackness of space. (AP).
This undated image provided by World View shows World View capsule and balloon spacecraft that will rise to 100,000 feet above Earth for passengers to see curvature of the planet and the blackness of space. (AP).
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Couples Could Have Their Weddings in Space by 2024

This undated image provided by World View shows World View capsule and balloon spacecraft that will rise to 100,000 feet above Earth for passengers to see curvature of the planet and the blackness of space. (AP).
This undated image provided by World View shows World View capsule and balloon spacecraft that will rise to 100,000 feet above Earth for passengers to see curvature of the planet and the blackness of space. (AP).

Would you get married in space? Couples could have their weddings inside a capsule carried by a stadium-size balloon 100,000 feet above Earth by 2024 - but tickets will set you back $125,000.

Florida-based firm Space Perspective is currently selling flights on its capsules for $125,000 (£91,000) that will gift voyagers 'insane' views of Earth, according to The Daily Mail.

Capsules carried by the firm's giant space balloons will take up to eight guests into the stratosphere, 100,000 feet (19 miles) above our planet's surface, for a trip that lasts six hours.

Customers have already bought up entire capsules for group events and some even want to have their weddings there, according to the firm, which started selling flights at the end of June.

Others may celebrate their milestone birthday aboard a capsule, the firm claims. Passengers will be able to feast their eyes on 360-degree views of Earth while inside the capsule, which comes complete with a bathroom, bar and on-board Wi-Fi.

In June, the company's test vehicle, Neptune One, successfully launched from the Space Coast Spaceport, adjacent to NASA's Kennedy Space Center.

Space Perspective is led by husband and wife team Taber MacCallum and Jane Poynter and based in Florida, who recently spoke to the Observer about the interest they've received since flights went on sale.

Spaceflights for 2024 are sold out, but customers can still book their seat now for 2025, according to the firm's website.

Launching from NASA's Kennedy Space Center and flown gently by a spaceballoon instead of rockets, a ride on the zero-emissions capsule offers 'the thrill of space and the comfort of calm', the firm claims. Space Perspective will be about relaxation – it will move at only 12 miles per hour during ascent and descent.

"It takes about two hours to get to the 30 km altitude. During the ascent you'll be able to see as far as 450 miles in every direction, so you'll see the entire Florida peninsula, the Bahamas down through the keys over into the Gulf of Mexico," Poynter said.



KAUST Study: More Large Mammals Roamed Arabian Peninsula than Previously Thought

According to KAUST, the study serves as a key scientific reference supporting the objectives of the Saudi Green Initiative and the Middle East Green Initiative. SPA
According to KAUST, the study serves as a key scientific reference supporting the objectives of the Saudi Green Initiative and the Middle East Green Initiative. SPA
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KAUST Study: More Large Mammals Roamed Arabian Peninsula than Previously Thought

According to KAUST, the study serves as a key scientific reference supporting the objectives of the Saudi Green Initiative and the Middle East Green Initiative. SPA
According to KAUST, the study serves as a key scientific reference supporting the objectives of the Saudi Green Initiative and the Middle East Green Initiative. SPA

A new study by researchers at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), published in the Journal of Biogeography, has identified 15 large mammal species that inhabited the Arabian Peninsula over the past 10,000 years - three times more than previously recognized.
According to KAUST, this study offers the most comprehensive list to date of large mammals from this period and establishes a benchmark for rewilding efforts in the region. It also serves as a key scientific reference supporting the objectives of the Saudi Green Initiative and the Middle East Green Initiative, as well as the programs of the National Center for Wildlife (NCW) and the National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification.
"Restoration is not just about plants, for animals play a key role in vegetation communities. In highlighting which large mammals became extinct, we are providing information that will help governments decide which mammals to reintroduce in the future,” said KAUST senior project manager and contributor to the study Christopher Clarke.
During the study, researchers analyzed thousands of petroglyphs (ancient rock carvings) collected during field expeditions as well as from shared social media content, which gave researchers access to a large collection of petroglyphs unknown to the scientific community.
The study revealed that most of the 15 mammal species come from Africa, including lions and cheetahs, and identified two species never previously recorded in the Arabian Peninsula: the greater kudu and the Somali wild donkey.
This study aligns with national efforts to restore ecological balance, particularly in light of the pioneering initiatives launched by NCW, including the reintroduction programs for the Arabian oryx and the cheetah.