A Spanish company, the Zero 2 Infinity, offers tourists trips to the threshold of space to see the Earth from above, all from the comfort of a small capsule, Whacky .
Space tourism sees new low-cost horizons: up to four passengers will be able to see the blue planet from above in a suggestive five-hour journey, at a maximum altitude of 40 km from the ground. To give you an idea: commercial flights fly about 10km high.
Bloon, space tourism in the "balloon" of the third millennium
The capsule Whacky of Zero 2 Infinity lifts off from one of the company's launch sites, most likely from its home country Spain. The details on this new form of space tourism are still being defined.
In any case, everything will be entrusted to large helium balloons. A "travel" version of the (discontinued?) Footballs Google Loon.
By giving up on expensive rockets and with much leaner technology, the Spanish company promises space tourism to become significantly more accessible. Even if it's not really retail prices: each trip will cost around 120.000 euros per passenger, the site reports Science times.
The journey on Bloon
Two pilots will be on board for each leg. The journey feels fluid, as the pod detaches from the balloon and unfolds a parafoil parachute to enjoy its gentle hour-long descent to Earth, offering a different perspective of our planet along the way, as well as a chance to see how black it is. space.
Depending on the wind conditions, the pod will land safely within a 1300-kilometer radius of the launch site, with company officials ready to gather everything and everyone.
The first tests for balloon-based space tourism date back to 2017: in 2021 the last and most probable also employed a humanoid robot inside it. The balloon rose to a height of 36 kilometers and descended with Olympic calm and a perfect landing.
When they will be ready?
As mentioned, precise details on the availability of the first trips to the public were not disclosed. By the end of the year, however, there will be the first tests with real people. Word of Jose Mariano Lopez-Urdiales, a veteran of the ad helium in the space.
