HALO Space, a Spanish space tourism company, has been working with the Communications, Space and Technology Commission (CST) to conduct its next test flight in Saudi Arabia in September.

The coming sixth test flight will include HALO Space's prototype capsule, Aurora, which will ascend 30 km above Earth. The mission's primary objective is to validate the integrated operation of all critical systems developed over the past three years. HALO's test and manned flights aim to transport passengers to an altitude of up to 35 km in a balloon-lifted spacecraft. The journey would span up to 200 km horizontally and last over six hours.

The company has scheduled its manned flights to begin in 2025, followed by expected commercial flights in 2026. By 2030, HALO plans to make space tourism accessible to a broad audience, with plans to service ~10,000 passengers from the launch of its commercial operations.

The CST has supported HALO Space since the beginning of 2024, overseeing preparations for the flight, which is set against the backdrop of Saudi Vision 2030. The CST has also collaborated with other government entities, such as the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), to help HALO Space meet all regulatory requirements for the flight.