A Space Tourism Company Wants to Build a Rocket-less Capsule to Send Passengers into the Stratosphere for only $50,000 — Meet World View

Arizona-based company, World View, is developing a rocket-less spacecraft to take passengers to the stratosphere at a cost of just $50,000 per seat, far cheaper than competitors such as Virgin Galactic.

The first flight is expected to launch in 2023 from the Spaceport Grand Canyon.

The World View Explorer is powered by a natural resource and uses a giant balloon to slowly lift passengers at 10-12 miles per hour, so they will not experience turbulence or G-force. The capsule will also have a parafoil to allow for a smooth descent.

World View has plans to have launch sites all around the globe, specifically at locations that will connect participants to the Earth and give them unique views of the planet and its curvature, such as the Grand Canyon, the Great Barrier Reef, the Great Wall of China, the Serengeti and the Amazon Rainforest.

The company plans to have 28 spacecraft throughout the system to fly four flights a day at each of the seven sites, with the experience costing participants $50,000, although financing plans are available. The World View Explorer is designed to be a "comfortable bubble" and can carry eight passengers and two crew members, with the capsule being fully autonomous with predetermined trajectories, ensuring participants will take off at the spaceport and land in a pre-planned location.

READ MORE