An Arizona start-up, World View, a subsidiary of Paragon Space Development Corp., announced that it has successfully completed the first flight of a small-scale model of a stratospheric balloon and capsule that, once developed, will become a vehicle for space tourists to marvel at. the Earth from 30 km high.
According to the company, Voyager will be ready to carry passengers to the edge of space by 2016. “We couldn't be more excited by the test results,” said Jane Poynter, managing director of World View, “the launch it represents a fundamental step on the road to touristic space travel, a step that brings us closer to the possibility of offering a unique experience to our customers”. The test prototype is called Tycho, it is about one tenth the size of the final model and during its maiden voyage it flew for five hours.
The Voyager that will carry space tourists will have a propulsion system consisting of a 1,1 million cubic meter helium balloon and a parafoil, a flexible airfoil used for the return of spacecraft from orbit. World View's Voyager will be required to meet the same safety rules that the Federal Aviation Administration has established for manned spacecraft orbiting the Earth before it is allowed to carry passengers. The Voyager will be able to carry six passengers at a time, with two pilots, and the ticket price should be around 75 thousand euros, money well spent, according to World View, to enjoy the view of our planet "with the gaze of angels".
Attachments: au.news.yahoo.com
