Space startup plans balloon rides to the edge of space
The six-hour journey may cost as much as $125,000
Courtesy: Space Perspective
Riders transported in pressurized capsule suspended by a hydrogen balloon
Rides will cost about $125,000
Test flight to take place in early 2021
Florida based startup Space Perspective has announced plans to fly customers to the edge of space in pressurized capsules suspended to hydrogen balloons as big as football stadiums. The company has partnered with Alaska Aerospace Corp, to utilize its Pacific Spaceport Complex in Kodiak, Alaska.
The capsule, dubbed the “Spaceship Neptune,” will be managed by a flight crew who will take eight passengers at a time. It would take at least two hours to ascend 19 miles above earth. The passengers would then be able to take pictures and/or post on social media about their experience.Then, the two-hour descent back to Earth would begin. They would splashdown and wait for a ship to retrieve them.
Courtesy: Space Perspective
This futuristic bonanza would set back the passengers as much as $125,000. But it may not seem that bad for the lavish dreamers who hope to experience Alaska’s Northern Lights from high altitudes.
The company derived the balloon’s design from technology NASA has used for decades to fly large research telescopes. They hope to complete an unmanned test flight from NASA’s Shuttle Launch Facility at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida in early 2021.
Alaska Aerospace and Space Perspective will test and refine spaceport operations and secure spaceflight licenses from the Federal Aviation Administration. The CEO of Alaska Aerospace Corp, Mark Lester, hopes to support Alaska tourism by launching these high-altitude rides for the general public in a few years.
Conclusion:
This is an interesting idea that ignites curiosity and has raised a lot of hopes for those interested in space and space travel. The price too seems quite hefty for a six-hour ride but taking into account the innovations recency and lack of competition seems obvious. With safety concerns and development issues battling the space rides’ success, we can only hope the technology matures into reality.