Tucson-based company plans to take passengers to edge of space in balloon | News

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TUCSON (TODAY) – Another company plans to take paying passengers into space, or in this case, to the edge of space.

But instead of using a rocket, this ride will take place under a giant balloon.

Another company plans to take paying passengers into space, or in this case to the edge of space.

NBC’s Tom Costello got the exclusive tour. He’s at the Tucson spaceport on Monday morning.

On Monday morning the countdown will start for another touristic view of Mother Earth and beyond.

But this one is different!

Instead of riding a rocket, this is a slow ride to the edge of space in a pressurized capsule hanging under a massive helium balloon. This is now laid out at the Tucson spaceport.

“This balloon would fit inside a soccer stadium,” said Ryan Hartman, CEO of World View. “That’s what it takes to get 10,000 pounds into the stratosphere.”

That is 100,000 meters high. However, there is no space.

While the passengers won’t become weightless, the views will be spectacular.

In a first-class cabin there are massive windows, WiFi, a bar and a toilet.

“But what you can see at the edge of space is the curvature of the earth against the backdrop of space,” Hartman said. “That means you can see the stars in broad daylight, you will see the full curvature of the earth.”

A very different trip than the rocket rides Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin sell.

In fact, going into space for about 3 minutes, which is nearly $ 500,000.

The eight-passenger, two-crew balloon ride takes up to 12 hours, starting at $ 50,000 per seat.

250 people have already pre-ordered tickets.

“No spacesuits,” Hartman said. “It’s a shirt-sleeved environment, just like an airplane. It’ll be comfortable and won’t require spacesuits or special equipment.”

The vision – to launch passengers from seven locations – the Grand Canyon, Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, the Sahara, the Amazon rainforest, Norway’s Aurora Borealis, the Egyptian pyramids and the Great Wall of China.

Almost 3,000 balloons a year that can only be used once.

The company also produces the strongest balloons.

When it returns to earth, a GPS-controlled parafoil takes over the guidance of the capsule to an exact location.

The first flights have been taking off for about two years.

This company isn’t new, so this is. It has been building high altitude balloons for years and using them to monitor weather patterns, harvest trends, and community trends.

Now the company is working with the FAA for its paying passenger business.

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