Test Tourism Space Capsule Conducts First Drop Evaluations

InsterllOr has passed Transcender-1's first major development milestone with tests over the past month.

InterstellOr’s test Transcender-1 vehicle utilizing its high-pressure gas system for a soft touchdown during a drop test in January 2026.

Aspiring space tourism company InterstellOr (穿越者) has recently completed its first evaluations of its sub-orbital Transcender-1 (穿越者壹号) 5,000-kilogram test vehicle through December 2025 and this January.

In late December 2025, Transcender-1 was suspended via a crane for a test of its high-pressure gas systems that enables a soft touchdown. That test saw gas flow through a nozzle installed at the base of the capsule, with its design directing the majority of the gas downwards. The test also verified that the nozzle will not drastically throw off Transcender-1’s attitude during a landing. Another suspended test was conducted in early January to incorporate improvements in the gas systems control computers.

Having gained confidence via the suspended tests, on January 18th, Transcender-1 was dropped about three meters, with its high-pressure gas system kicking in for a soft landing in a dozen newly installed airbags. According to InsterllOr, the brief drop confirmed that its gas systems and control computers act fast enough for a soft touchdown. Stresses experienced by the touchdown systems and the capsule’s structure were said to be within expected limits too.

To prove that the landing system is gentle enough to carry passengers in the future, an egg was strapped into a seat within Transcender-1 for the drop test. Following the test, teams recovered an undamaged egg.

Before this and last month’s tests, InterstellOr’s teams joined the major elements of Transcender-1’s structure in mid-November 2025, and through to the end of the year, high-pressure gas tanks, plumbing, and the gas nozzle were installed for the capsule’s soft-touchdown system. While systems were being installed, the exterior of the capsule was being painted mainly white with several fake windows, along with what the company called an ‘oriental aesthetic’ design, featuring calligraphy stating ‘cloud-guided landing’ (云感着陆).

The design of Transcender-1 was unveiled at a November 16th 2025 ‘launch’ event, attended by InterstellOr’s leadership, members of the communist party from Wenjiang District (温江区) and Chengdu (成都市), as well as the space tourism company’s local partner, being Chengdu Fujiang Industrial Co Ltd (成都富江工业股份有限公司), a subsidiary of Sichuan Development Group (四川发展旗下).

Currently, InterstellOr is still aiming for Transcender-1 to begin flying its first missions above the Kármán line in 2028. Up to six passengers will be accommodated in the 8,000-kilogram, 4-meter-wide capsule, sharing its 21-meter cubic volume with a launch escape system.

Before any flights, the capsule will undergo further testing from higher altitudes to verify its safety, and the company will have to procure a booster to send Transcender-1 on its suborbital trajectory.

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