A Japanese startup plans to launch a commercial balloon into space to provide ordinary people with the expensive experience of viewing the universe.
According to AP News, the company’s director, Keisuke Iwaya, stated that passengers do not need to be billionaires or undergo intense training to qualify for a space flight.
The balloon vehicle, which has 2 seats, will take passengers to an altitude of 25 km to view space. (Photo: AP).
“This vehicle is safe, cost-effective, and gentle for everyone. This initiative is based on the idea of bringing space travel to the general public,” Iwaya expressed his desire to “democratize space.”
The space balloon is the brainchild of Iwaya Giken, a company based in Sapporo, northern Japan. The company has been researching and developing the project since 2012. The project aims to create a cabin-style balloon capable of flying up to 25,000 meters—an altitude from which passengers can see the curvature of the Earth.
Although the balloon will only ascend to the lower stratosphere, and passengers will not be in outer space, they will still be at a height above that of a commercial airplane, with an unobstructed view of space. Typically, a passenger plane operates at altitudes of 10,000 to 12,800 meters, while fighter jets can reach altitudes of up to 15,000 meters.
The balloon can carry one pilot and one passenger, launching from a balloon station in Hokkaido, ascending to 25,000 meters over two hours, spending one hour in the stratosphere before descending in the next hour. The company noted that the plastic cabin has a diameter of 1.5 meters and features several large windows, allowing passengers to observe the space above or the Earth below.
Unlike spacecraft, Giken’s balloon will ascend using helium, a gas that can be reused. Flights will also limit their range to safely operate within Japanese territory or airspace. The first flight is scheduled for as early as the end of this year.
The company revealed that the first five selected passengers will be announced in October, with flights scheduled approximately one week apart, depending on weather conditions.
In collaboration with Japan’s travel agency JTB, Iwaya Giken has announced plans for a commercial flight with an initial estimated price of around 24 million yen (approximately $180,000). However, Director Keisuke Iwaya stated that he aims to reduce the flight price to just a few million yen.
As Japan’s space projects lag behind American companies like SpaceX, Iwaya mentioned that his goal is to make space tourism more accessible. The SpaceX group took three wealthy entrepreneurs and a crew of astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) in April 2021, costing $55 million per person.
