The ship intends to create a ‘science city’ on the ocean, attracting top brains to examine and tackle climate change.

 

 

 

 

The sleek ship, about a football field long and 150 feet wide at its widest point, has a remarkable viewing deck on the bow. Longer than the Titanic and fueled by nuclear energy, the megayacht boasts 22 cutting-edge labs and a 13-story ‘science sphere.’ However, Earth 300 is actually an exploration ship designed to look into climate change and other problems facing our world. The 300-meter vessel was created by Iván Salas Jefferson, the creator of Ides Yachts, and features a radically aerodynamic appearance. It is intended to serve as an ‘extreme technology platform,’ merging robots, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing to draw the top brains from various sectors. Such a daring idea is expensive; at this time, the ship, being built by the Polish naval design firm NED, is estimated to cost between $500 and $700 million. Top climate scientists will live in the ‘science city’ on the orb, which is modeled after Earth, and use cutting-edge technology aboard the ship to create new solutions. The ship’s sphere is its most distinctive design feature. The outbound list of sponsors for the initiative includes IBM, Triton Submarines, EYOS Expeditions, and RINA, a world authority on maritime security. The nuclear innovation business TerraPower, founded by Bill Gates, developed the technology for the onboard molten-salt reactor that will provide electricity with no emissions. Earth 300, scheduled to launch in 2025, will include space for a crew of 165 people, 160 scientists from a range of fields, as well as several resident specialists and student researchers. There will also be 40 VIP seats available, each costing $3 million. That’s more than ten times the price of a Virgin Galactic ticket. Why create a cutting-edge seagoing vessel when so many people are gazing toward space? ‘The oceans are dying,’ Salas Jefferson told Architectural Digest. ‘Having been born in Palma de Mallorca, I’ve seen it firsthand in the Mediterranean. Now is the time to reboot, reconnect, and redirect our planet’s destiny. Our oceans keep us—and our planet—alive, and Earth 300’s mission is to protect our oceans and ensure their health for generations to come.’ Space may be the future, Salas Jefferson says, but ‘today, Earth is our only home.