The Japanese company Iwaya Giken is launching tours for thrill-seekers who want to see the Earth from an astronaut’s perspective. A few-hour flight in a piloted capsule attached to a balloon will cost $180,000.
A hermetically sealed two-person capsule, 1.5 meters wide and featuring multiple panoramic windows, will reach an altitude of 25 kilometers. This isn’t the edge of outer space, but it’s high enough to see Earth’s curvature against a black sky.
The hot air balloon carrying the capsule will launch from a port on Hokkaido Island. The ascent will take two hours. Passengers will not exit into open space. They will enjoy the cosmic views for about an hour before returning to Earth.
According to the International Astronautical Federation, the edge of space is generally considered to be 100,000 meters above Earth.
A trendy theme for thrill-seekers.
The startup Iwaya Giken has been working on a project called “Open Universe” since 2012. During that time, its specialists have tested smaller balloons at low altitudes, the company says on ScienceAlert.
Last month, the company began accepting applications from future travelers. The first five passengers will be selected in October. The first tour to the stratosphere is scheduled for December, weather permitting.
The CEO of the startup, Keisuke Iwaya, assures that these flights will be safe and accessible to everyone. The company plans to significantly reduce the cost of tickets to the stratosphere in the future. “The idea is to make space tourism accessible to everyone,” the CEO said. Tourists will not need special training or to learn a foreign language to communicate with the crew.
Iwaya Giken has also announced its readiness to sell the panoramic capsule for $735,000.
The topic of space, and specifically stratospheric tourism, is gaining popularity. For example, World View Enterprises from Arizona (USA) is currently developing unmanned stratospheric balloons. Starting next year, they plan to carry passengers for $50,000. Meanwhile, its subsidiary Space Perspective in Florida is already selling tickets for stratospheric flights at $125,000, which are set to begin in 2025.
