Cape Canaveral has officially started selling tickets for what will be the most spectacular balloon ride in history: a total of six hours to the edge of space, where the sunrise can be seen. The price of each ticket is $ 125,000 and these balloon flights will begin in 2024.
The vehicle used for this historic trip will be the Neptune capsule , which will be pressurized and hung from a special advanced balloon the size of a soccer field. It is estimated that this balloon is even larger than the Big 60 that NASA launched in September 2018. That balloon was 1.7 million cubic meters in size and was created in South Dakota by the Raven Aerostar company, using a polyethylene material with a minimum thickness of one hundredth of a millimeter. The entire capsule shell covered up to 20 hectares. This balloon carried a load of 750 kilos and reached 48,463 meters in height.
This offers the Neptune capsule
Each flight made by this ship will be with a pilot and eight passengers on board, with nine reclining and highly comfortable seats, as well as a comfortable place to have snacks and a built-in Wi-Fi system that will allow the live transmission of the experience. . In addition, it must be taken into account that the entire capsule will have 360-degree panoramic windows.
The six-hour trip will reach a maximum altitude of 30,480 meters where passengers will be able for a couple of hours to enjoy the sunset that will rise from the curved horizon of the Earth. A total of 724 kilometers of terrain can be seen from up there in all directions. It is a unique experience in which the astronaut Jeff Hoffman advises us not to forget a camera to immortalize the moment all those who enjoy this trip.
An indelible memory
According to the plans, the landing will be made near the coast and a ship will come to remove the capsule from the area and be able to disembark on land without any problem. In case something went wrong, a backup parachute would be deployed.
Although it is not a cheap trip, it continues to be an alternative to the rocket trips that companies such as SpaceX or Blue Origin have also announced. Although these space trips promise to be more exciting on lift-off and will reach much higher, it is also a less safe trip than that of the Neptune capsule.
On June 18, the company Space Perspective successfully completed the first test flight of its Neptune One balloon, which had no crew. This test reached over 100,000 feet and landed in the Gulf of Mexico. The company assures that the flights could take place by the end of 2024, and people who wish to do so are being allowed to make a seat reservation for $ 1,000.
