Company plans ultimate balloon ride to the edge of space
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Looking for a trip that’s out of this world? Well, almost.
How about a balloon trip up 19 miles over the Atlantic Ocean? That would be high enough to view the Earth’s curvature and take in a sight that only astronauts have been lucky enough to see.
The company — a startup called Space Perspective — is eyeing suborbital flights via a hydrogen balloon to the edge of space.
Plans call for eight passengers and a pilot to board the 10,000-pound Neptune Capsule at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center before dawn. Riders would recline in plush seats and take off for a two-hour trip into the stratosphere.
“As Neptune glides along the edge of space,” the company writes on its website, “the sun slowly rises over the curved limb of Earth, scattering rainbow colors of light across the planet and illuminating the thin, bright blue line of our atmosphere. And the sky remains black, completely inky black. This view of Earth in the void of space has transfixed astronauts since the dawn of the space age.”
After letting guests check the view for two hours, the balloon then descends for another two hours, with guests splashing down in the Atlantic Ocean and boarding a ship to head back to shore.
While a price tag hasn’t been set yet, a report by Business Insider says the trip could run you around $125,000.
But … the view!
“Less than 20 people have ever been to the edge of space under a space-balloon, far fewer than have been in orbit around our planet,” the website says.
“For the first time, we can make the thrill of spaceflight accessible to you, our Explorers, in a safe, comfortable manner with minimal physical requirements and as simple as boarding an airplane.”
The pressurized capsule also features a bar and bathroom (it is a six-hour trip, after all).
As if the trip itself wasn’t good enough, the company suggests renting the balloon ride for weddings, a company retreat or even a concert (the company says the capsule can accommodate live streaming of events).
If it all pans out, it certainly would be an incredible new travel adventure.