Space travel with balloon

The World Vision Provider (WV), based in Arizona, has completed the first test flight of a space travel balloon.

>>>Aeronautics and aerospace tourism

This balloon will take visitors to the stratosphere 32km from the ground, at this height visitors can see the curvature of the globe surface. Each balloon flight carries 6 passengers. In order to be able to serve on cloud floors, each tourist has to spend 75,000 USD, the first commercial flight is expected to start from 2016.

Photo: Gizmag

Last year WV was approved by the US Space Travel Administration (FAA) and this year the company embarked on its first test flight. Although only tested at a height of 32km, but gave passengers a great experience on space with balloon.

The balloon is a giant balloon containing 400,000 cubic meters of helium gas. The passenger compartment is large enough for visitors to walk around and look at the bottom. To return to the ground, the balloon will be drained of helium gas and eventually cut off the passenger compartment. A device called a parafoil will help land safely like a paraglider.

Gizmag magazine said the first test flight of WV took place smoothly in the middle of June this year in Roswell, New Mexico. The balloon is only one-third the size and the passenger load is 204kg, only 1/10 of the expected load when officially put into operation. The total time from leaving the earth to returning is 5 - 6 hours.