Starting in 2016, the Arizona-based space travel company World View Enterprises will operate balloon flights, taking participants to the boundary of the atmosphere and outer space at an altitude of 30 km above the Earth.
The balloon will be lifted to an altitude of 30 km in the atmosphere.
Travelers would be lifted into space by a pressurized space chamber called Voyagers, which would be lifted by a giant balloon.
The capsule is large enough to accommodate a crew of eight, including two pilots and six passengers, along with a bar and internet access point. The flight will last about two hours, meaning each minute in Voyagers will cost about $625.
Although Voyagers won't take passengers to the actual boundary between space and atmosphere at an altitude of 100 km, passengers can still admire the entire view of the Earth below their feet.
The Voyager space capsule will launch from a site in New Mexico. It will be placed in a cradle, and passengers and crew will climb inside. Helium will be pumped into a state-of-the-art balloon.
The balloon will fly to an altitude of more than 30 km, above 99% of the Earth's atmosphere. Here, the balloon will float for 2 hours so that passengers can admire the surrounding scenery. After that, the helium in the balloon will be released, causing Voyager to gradually lower its altitude and slowly return to the ground. The total time for the trip will last 5 to 6 hours.
The company says the Voyager capsule will offer a near-space travel experience at an unprecedentedly low price. World View Enterprises' target customers will be educators, researchers, private companies and government agencies.
