HALO Space Plans Near Space Flights From Saudi Arabia

Published on Nov 13, 2025, 9:31 am CST

4 min read

Key points

HALO Space will base its first commercial near space operations in Saudi Arabia
Five uncrewed Aurora capsule tests are complete, reaching up to 37 kilometers
Roadmap targets passenger balloon flights of four to six hours carrying up to eight people
Company is evaluating three Saudi launch areas and building a luxury hospitality program
Future Stratospheric Reentry Vehicles could glide to runways by 2032

Impact

Booking Horizon: Earliest paid passenger flights are targeted after crewed testing and regulator approvals, which HALO has signaled for mid decade benchmarks
Where It Operates First: Saudi Arabia will be the initial commercial base with multiple candidate launch areas under review
What The Experience Includes: Planned four to six hour flights to about 35 to 40 kilometers with an eight passenger pressurized capsule and curated pre and post flight hospitality
Traveler Prep: Expect medical screening, weight and mobility limits, and weather holds typical of stratospheric balloon missions
Sustainability Angle: Balloon lift avoids rocket emissions, a point HALO frames as central to its offer

HALO Space set out a 10 year plan to bring commercial near space tourism to market, naming Saudi Arabia as the company's first operating base. The announcement came at the inaugural TOURISE Summit in Riyadh on November 11 to 13, 2025, where the firm positioned stratospheric balloon flights as a lower impact alternative to rocket based tourism, and paired the flight product with a new HALO Hospitality program built around wellness, culture, cuisine, and desert experiences. The company says it has already completed five uncrewed tests of its Aurora capsule and is reviewing three candidate Saudi launch areas. For travelers, the headline is simple, a path to the black sky and the horizon arc from within the Kingdom's borders, pending aircraft like approvals, safety milestones, and weather windows.

HALO Space, the capsule, and the Saudi base

HALO's concept uses a hydrogen balloon to lift a pressurized capsule to roughly 35 to 40 kilometers, where passengers can see the curvature of Earth and the deep blue to black gradient above. Early technical briefs and partner material describe flights of about four to six hours with up to eight seats, a profile that aligns with how other balloon operators frame time aloft and ascent and descent pacing. HALO has signaled Saudi Arabia as the first commercial base, citing clear weather, ample desert recovery areas, and a growing luxury tourism infrastructure. The company's public materials also highlight Saudi advantages like sunny days and low conflicting air traffic around proposed corridors, which would simplify trajectory planning and landing logistics compared with denser airspace.

Latest developments

At TOURISE, HALO said it is evaluating three Saudi launch sites that offer desert and coastal vistas to maximize the so called overview effect for guests. The firm also introduced HALO Hospitality as a curated envelope around the flight day, positioning the travel product less as a one hour thrill and more as a multi day itinerary keyed to recovery and reflection. The company reiterated that five uncrewed tests are complete, including a high altitude ascent to about 37 kilometers using a full scale prototype, and it previewed a next phase of vehicle development that leads to crewed testing before passenger service.

Analysis

For travelers, two questions matter, when can you book, and what does the day look like. On timing, HALO's public roadmap and industry coverage point to a sequence, uncrewed tests, crewed tests, then entry into service after regulator review. External reporting in April 2024 referenced a first crewed flight in 2025 followed by paid flights a year later, a cadence that now folds into the company's broader 10 year plan presented in Riyadh. That suggests a cautious read, expect bookings to open only after crewed trials and local regulatory frameworks are in place for stratospheric balloons carrying passengers.

On the experience, HALO is building the ground side as much as the flight side. The hospitality layer mirrors how expedition cruise lines and high altitude adventure operators frame value, health screening, education, and a decompression period after the main event. Saudi Arabia's mix of new luxury resorts and desert landscapes provides the setting, and the company's own site underscores weather reliability and recovery area scale as operational upsides. That matters because balloon missions are weather sensitive, so schedule buffers, morning go or no go briefings, and contingency days are standard even when a destination boasts many clear days.

Background

Near space tourism by balloon differs from rocket tourism in propulsion, altitude, and environmental profile. Balloons ascend to the stratosphere rather than the Kármán line, passengers remain in shirtsleeve conditions inside a pressurized capsule, and the vehicle returns under balloon deflation and parachute, or a steerable system if equipped. The selling points are long dwell time, lower acoustic and emissions footprint, and fewer g loads. HALO's public specs and press partners have repeatedly cited eight seats, four to six hours aloft, and altitudes around 35 to 40 kilometers, with a longer term plan for Stratospheric Reentry Vehicles that would glide to a runway by about 2032, which, if achieved, would add landing precision and broaden site options.

Final thoughts

HALO Space near space flights from Saudi Arabia move the Kingdom into the earliest commercial cohort for stratospheric tourism. The five completed uncrewed tests and the hospitality wrapper show a product aimed at experience led travelers rather than short suborbital hops. Watch the crewed test phase, regulator briefings, and the final selection of a Saudi launch area for the next concrete signals that booking windows are close.