Start-up sells 1,000 tickets for balloon trips near the edge of space
A space balloon start-up which plans to fly paying customers to the edge of space as early as 2024 has signed up its 1,000th customer, making it the most sought-after space tourism operator in the world. The Arizona-based World View sells rides on its space balloons for $50,000 per seat, about one-ninth the price of a spaceflight ticket with Virgin Galactic. Relying on heliumfilled balloons, World View won’t deliver the full space tourism experience with weightlessness, but its customers will see planet Earth from 23 miles (37 kilometres) above, almost three times higher than the cruising altitude of a passenger jet. At this altitude, you can observe the curvature of Earth as well as the star-studded blackness of the sky. The experience is more of a slow-burn six to eight hours compared to the adrenalin-filled rocket-powered flights offered by Virgin Galactic or Blue Origin.
To increase the allure, World View plans to launch its flights from some of the world’s most spectacular locations, including the
Grand Canyon, Great Barrier Reef and the pyramids of Egypt. Flights from the Grand Canyon spaceport have already sold out for the first year of operations. “Reaching 1,000 reservations underscores the passion, excitement and interest for this unique experience that World View offers,” World View CEO and president Ryan Hartman said. “The fact that the Grand Canyon spaceport flight has sold out for the first year also showcases the market demand and growing interest in space tourism.”