Travel to space in a balloon for just £44,000
If you have a spare couple of grand laying around and find yourself wanting to view the curvature of the Earth, there’s a travel company that’s almost ready to take you to space in a balloon.
It’s not your average kind of balloon, of course. World View, a space travel company, has just launched the first successful test flight of its prototype device which takes passengers to 100,000 ft above Earth in a pressurised capsule carried by a helium balloon.
The prototype was one-tenth the size of the planned vessel, but it tested out essential parts to make consumer flights viable by next year. Eager space travellers can already pre-book a seat.
The balloon will take people to the point between Earth and space where Felix Baumgartner made his space famous jump. For £44,000, passengers will be guided safely back to earth using a parafoil system.
For those with the money- and the stomach- to take the trip, here’s a glimpse of the view to expect.