The balloon is not actually going into space, but the technology is still considered a spacecraft by the US Federal Aviation Administration because of the high altitude it reaches.
A US company is hoping to launch passengers to Earth’s stratosphere on an enormous helium balloon that would expand larger than a football field to lift off the ground. All photos: World View
It would soar 30,480 metres above the ground, carrying a large passenger capsule to offer striking views of the planet’s curvature and delicate atmosphere.
Being developed by Arizona-based company World View, a ticket costs $50,000 – half the price of what Space Perspective, also a stratospheric balloon company, is selling each seat for – and monthly payment plans are also accepted.
The World View flights are expected to begin 2024 and will launch from the world’s most stunning sites, including the Grand Canyon in Arizona and Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.
Dale Hipsh, president of tourism and exploration at the company, said the experience is meant to provide passengers with the overview effect, often described by astronauts as a powerful shift in how a person views the planet and life.
The capsule is a pressurised and climate controlled. It is large enough for passengers to get up from their seats and move around. Meals and drinks will be served and there is also a toilet on board. There are reclining seats, oversized windows for 360 views, high-speed data connectivity and a telescope.
The flight time would last from six to eight hours, but the ticket includes a five-day trip that would involve staying in boutique hotels, exploring nature sites near the spaceport, dining at local restaurants, spa, yoga and other fitness experiences.
Mr Hipsh said tickets for a launch from the Grand Canyon spaceport is now sold out for all of 2024.
There are other launch sites being constructed and planned, including the Serengeti in Kenya, Norway to see the Northern Lights, Amazonia in Brazil, near the Great Wall of China in Mongolia and near the Giza Pyramids in Egypt.
On launch day, passengers will board the capsule, which can accommodate eight customers and two crew members, several hours before sunrise.
Fifteen minutes after lift-off, the curvature of the Earth will become visible. It will be about a two hour climb to the edge of space, then the balloon will float at its maximum altitude so passengers can enjoy views from above, before beginning its two-hour descent to the ground. Because this is a controlled ascent and descent, passengers will not experience weightlessness at any point during the flight.
The balloon is not actually going into space, but the technology is still considered a spacecraft by the US Federal Aviation Administration because of the high altitude it reaches.
A US company is hoping to launch passengers to Earth’s stratosphere on an enormous helium balloon that would expand larger than a football field to lift off the ground. All photos: World View
It would soar 30,480 metres above the ground, carrying a large passenger capsule to offer striking views of the planet’s curvature and delicate atmosphere.
Being developed by Arizona-based company World View, a ticket costs $50,000 – half the price of what Space Perspective, also a stratospheric balloon company, is selling each seat for – and monthly payment plans are also accepted.
The World View flights are expected to begin 2024 and will launch from the world’s most stunning sites, including the Grand Canyon in Arizona and Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.
Dale Hipsh, president of tourism and exploration at the company, said the experience is meant to provide passengers with the overview effect, often described by astronauts as a powerful shift in how a person views the planet and life.
The capsule is a pressurised and climate controlled. It is large enough for passengers to get up from their seats and move around. Meals and drinks will be served and there is also a toilet on board. There are reclining seats, oversized windows for 360 views, high-speed data connectivity and a telescope.
The flight time would last from six to eight hours, but the ticket includes a five-day trip that would involve staying in boutique hotels, exploring nature sites near the spaceport, dining at local restaurants, spa, yoga and other fitness experiences.
Mr Hipsh said tickets for a launch from the Grand Canyon spaceport is now sold out for all of 2024.
There are other launch sites being constructed and planned, including the Serengeti in Kenya, Norway to see the Northern Lights, Amazonia in Brazil, near the Great Wall of China in Mongolia and near the Giza Pyramids in Egypt.
On launch day, passengers will board the capsule, which can accommodate eight customers and two crew members, several hours before sunrise.
Fifteen minutes after lift-off, the curvature of the Earth will become visible. It will be about a two hour climb to the edge of space, then the balloon will float at its maximum altitude so passengers can enjoy views from above, before beginning its two-hour descent to the ground. Because this is a controlled ascent and descent, passengers will not experience weightlessness at any point during the flight.
The balloon is not actually going into space, but the technology is still considered a spacecraft by the US Federal Aviation Administration because of the high altitude it reaches.
