Growing up in Central Florida, Aly Benitez always was enthralled with space exploration.
She went to space camp as a kid, but never realized her childhood dream of becoming an astronaut. However, Benitez will get to peer down at Earth like an astronaut anyway.
The Orlando-based vice president at J.P. Morgan Private Bank in February announced via LinkedIn that she booked a seat on a future luxury space balloon flight offered by Cape Canaveral-based Space Perspective Inc.
Benitez will be one of Space Perspective’s earliest passengers, taking a six-hour balloon trip to the edge of space sometime after the company’s first flight in fourth-quarter 2024, she told Orlando Business Journal.
Space Perspective offers trips in a balloon capsule that holds up to eight passengers 20 miles above Earth’s surface, providing 360-degree views of the planet. The slow nature of the trip is what Benitez is most excited about.
“I’m looking forward to being up there and having that view down and seeing what astronauts talk about, seeing how tiny Earth really is. We are so divided on the planet, but if you look from the atmosphere, we are one humanity.”
Benitez learned about Space Perspective, founded in 2019, through Jim Thomas, a partner at Orlando-based private equity firm Kirenaga Partners. Kirenaga is an investor in Space Perspective.
Other companies such as Blue Origin, founded by Jeff Bezos, and Virgin Galactic, founded by Sir Richard Branson, offer non-astronauts seats on commercial space flights. However, those seats have been sold or auctioned for prices ranging from $450,000-$28 million.
Space Perspective’s lower price tag, which the company says starts at $125,000 per seat, was also attractive, Benitez said. “I’ve been following private spaceflight for a while, but I never thought it would happen.”
Space Perspective's efforts to build up a space tourism business in Brevard County is poised to have a significant economic effect on the region. The company in December announced it will build a 120,000-square-foot Space Coast facility for the production of its luxury space travel balloons by 2024. Space Perspective expects the facility to create 240 jobs.
Of course, Benitez isn’t the only member of Central Florida’s business community preparing for a high-altitude trip.
Blue Origin announced the crew for its upcoming March 23 flight includes local power couple Marc Hagle and Sharon Hagle. They’ll join four other members, including comedian/actor Pete Davidson.
Marc Hagle is president and CEO of Winter Park-based real estate firm Tricor International LLC. Sharon Hagle is a philanthropist and former commercial real estate executive who founded Winter Park-based SpaceKids Global in 2015. The nonprofit’s mission is oriented on inspiring students to achieve in STEAM+ education and, in particular, focuses on empowering young girls to pursue careers in the space industry.
While the Hagles will travel to space together, Benitez said her wife will not join her on the trip above the clouds. "There are two camps for the space world. One is all excited, the other is, 'No thank you, not for me.' My wife is, 'No thank you, not for me.'"
OBJ Staff Writer Steven Ryzewski contributed to this report.
Sign up here for our free morning and afternoon daily newsletters. And be sure to follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Sign up here for The Beat, Orlando Inno’s free newsletter. And be sure to follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.
