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Space Businesses

Space Startup Promises 30-Mile-High Balloon Rides to the 'Edge of Space' (cbsnews.com) 61

Posted by EditorDavid from the up-up-and-away dept.
An anonymous reader quotes CBS News: Researchers, armchair astronauts and even brides and grooms looking for an out-of-this-world wedding experience will be able to celebrate, collect data or simply enjoy the view from an altitude of 100,000 feet in a balloon-borne pressurized cabin, complete with a bar and a restroom, a space startup announced Thursday.

"Spaceship Neptune," operated by a company called Space Perspective from leased facilities at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, will carry eight passengers at a time on six-hour flights [with a crew member]. The passenger cabin, lifted by a huge hydrogen-filled balloon, will climb at a sedate 12 miles per hour to an altitude of about 30 miles high. That will be followed by a slow descent to splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean where a recovery ship will be standing by to secure the cabin and crew.

Test flights carrying scientific research payloads are expected to begin in 2021. The first flights carrying passengers are expected within the next three-and-a-half years or so, with piloted test flights before that. While the company initially will operate out of the Florida spaceport, the system could be launched from multiple sites around the world, with Hawaii and Alaska near-term possibilities.
They're expecting to charge around $125,000 per passenger, according to the article — about half the price of higher sub-orbital flight on a Virgin Galactic rocket-powered spaceplane. Though Spaceship Neptune's customers will not experience weightlessness, their CEO is still promising "opportunities for civilian astronauts to experience this planet Earth from the edge of space, a privilege previously available to only a few."

And they're also touting "really great" live air-to-ground communication — which they think would be great for corporate events.
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Space Startup Promises 30-Mile-High Balloon Rides to the 'Edge of Space' More

Space Startup Promises 30-Mile-High Balloon Rides to the 'Edge of Space'

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  • The advertising writes itself (Score:3)

    by the_skywise ( 189793 ) on Sunday June 21, 2020 @11:41AM (#60209034)

    "Wouldn't you like to ride on my beautiful balloon"

  • Flat earthers (Score:4, Interesting)

    by Barsteward ( 969998 ) on Sunday June 21, 2020 @11:51AM (#60209046)
    They could tie a load of them to the cabin and see how they react to seeing the curvature of the earth and see if they can touch the protective dome they talk about ....

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by Tablizer ( 95088 )

      I wonder how high the elevation has to be to make the curvature obvious. I don't think one would first see a curve, per se, but rather an oddly low horizon. That is, the dark sky takes up noticeably more total space than Earth. I don't think the average eye can detect very gradual curves, but haven't seen any studies on it.

    • I think you need to be a lot higher to see a noticeable curve. 30 miles is only 1/800th of the Earthâ(TM)s circumference.

      • Re: (Score:3)

        by Macdude ( 23507 )

        Whether the curve is noticeable or not depends on altitude and field of view. At 100,000 feet with a wide field of view it will be obvious. Pilots can see it at 35,000 feet because they have a wide field of view out of the cockpit windows while it's difficult for passengers due to the narrowness of the cabin windows.

    • They could tie a load of them to the cabin and see how they react to seeing the curvature of the earth

      I'm sure they would explain the curvature as seeing the edge of the disk. Their belief is not rational. There is overwhelmingly compelling evidence on the spherical nature of the planet easily available to them. More rational evidence is not going to make any difference since they can always come up with more and more irrational and far fetched arguments to explain it.

      • Further, the windows on the capsule have been curved to provide an optical illusion.

        It is obvious that the earth is flat. That is why nobody you know has ever gone to the south pole. It simply does not exist.

        I am surprised that people are so naive as to believe everything that they are told.

    • I was thinking the exact same thing about flat earthers. Maybe the company could include a flat earther on each flight for the added entertainment.
      I am pretty sure they will be quite happy to come up with a reason why what they're seeing proves the earth is really flat though.
      After all, once you've flown on a normal international flight you've probably looked out the window and seen the curve of the earth, but that doesn't seem to make any difference.
    • They will easily deny it by saying the window is not actually a window and is really an LCD screen showing a fake image.

  • Edge of Space (Score:5, Informative)

    by PuddleBoy ( 544111 ) on Sunday June 21, 2020 @11:52AM (#60209050)

    Wasn't the "edge of space" loosely defined as around 62 miles up?

    And, last time I checked, 100,000 feet did not equate to 30 miles....

  • These rides should go a long way to solve the Earth flat/round dispute. And that guy who blew himself up with a steam rocket (uh ... because he couldn't buy a plane ticket to accomplish the same thing?) would have probably loved this. Though I have to imagine, the Flat Earthers will be broken-hearted by this. What will give their lives meaning?

    • Nah not at all. All the evidence we have for a globe earth doesn't sink in, why should new evidence?

    • Re: Flat Earthers get free tickets (Score:5, Funny)

      by backslashdot ( 95548 ) on Sunday June 21, 2020 @12:23PM (#60209132)

      They will claim the windows are high resolution 3D screens.

    • Re:Flat Earthers get free tickets (Score:5, Informative)

      by hey! ( 33014 ) on Sunday June 21, 2020 @01:00PM (#60209228) Homepage Journal

      I'm afraid it won't work. You cannot distinguish between the horizon on the sphere and the edge of a disk no matter what height you are at -- not even if you're standing on the Moon.

      The notion you can directly perceive the shape of the Earth at high altitudes is, as the flat Earthers *correctly* point out, a product of the fish eye lens effect. The horizon is always a circle, the question is whether that circle is the edge of a disc or the intersection of a cone with a sphere. You could settle it by looking at how surface features disappear over the edge of the horizon -- if the atmosphere were perfectly transparent, which it's not. You just can't see it.

      You *can* tell by doing an orbit of the Earth, passing from day to night and back again, but it'll be a while before any space tourist operations offer that. It takes vastly more energy to establish an orbit than to simply go up and down.

      Fortunately, it is quite straightforward to demonstrate the Earth is spherical without ever leaving the surface of the Earth. The Greeks managed it thousands of years ago. You just have to look at the night sky and think about what you're seeing... with a little math.

    • Re:Flat Earthers get free tickets (Score:5, Funny)

      by Åke Malmgren ( 3402337 ) on Sunday June 21, 2020 @02:05PM (#60209492)
      I'd become a flat earther in a jiffy if it meant I got free tickets to stuff like this. I'd probably need multiple tours in order to be convinced. Preferrably to orbit.

    • These rides should go a long way to solve the Earth flat/round dispute.

      There is no dispute. Arguing with schizophrenics and the mentally infirm says more about those doing the arguing, than anything else...

    • These rides should go a long way to solve the Earth flat/round dispute.

      Should, but probably won't.
      I saw a flat earth documentary on Netflix (Behind the curve, I think) where the flat earthers tried an experiment to prove the earth was flat, but proved it was in fact a globe.
      It didn't seem to put them off though, they just changed their "theory".

  • Sounds like they're full of a lot of hot air...

    The balloon probably uses helium, I'm talking about the people pushing this idea.

  • I can only think of a few problems with this, not the least of which is static build up.

    • Was only a problem for Hindenburg near the tower because skin insulated and caused charge buildup, and besides most of the people on board survived, they rode it down. Sounds like easily solved engineering problem.

  • Pay $125K and not even get to space, not even experience zero-gravity? Thatâ(TM)s ridiculous!

    • Re:$125k waste (Score:5, Funny)

      by iggymanz ( 596061 ) on Sunday June 21, 2020 @12:22PM (#60209128)

      Not necessarily, you might have a chance to experience over a minute and a half of zero g if there is a catastrophic failure, w0h00!

      • Re: (Score:3, Informative)

        by Greeneland ( 598616 )
        I recall Skydiving from 14,500 to sea-level a long time ago. I think it was about 50 seconds free-fall to I think 4000 feet was where I pulled the rip cord. They should get more than a minute and a half for $125 grand. Ouch.

        • Yes with proper body position you can fall at a nice leisurely 120 MPH terminal velocity. I was assuming "best" possible aerodynamic shape and a very heavy weight of capsule, like a giant lawn dart, lolz, which would give 1 minute 40 seconds in the limiting case (or say of case with no atmosphere).

          • Not zero G in free fall. Except maybe for the first few seconds until the air increases.

            Doing aerobatics in a glider you can get about 5 seconds. Most powered planes are not good for zero G as their carburetors flood.

            I was too mean to take up the old Soviet offers to fly one of their top jets for about $10,000. Should have done it. Would have pulled all sorts of Gs.

            • there are some amazing shapes for dive from that altitude though, like the HTV-2 that got to over 15,000 MPH, would be near zero g.

          • Terminal velocity is much higher than 120MPH in the thin air at 100k feet height.

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by kanweg ( 771128 )

      Well, if the balloon pops you may experience zero g after all.

    • Re: (Score:3)

      by k6mfw ( 1182893 )
      There are some people that have so much money, that's like pulling out $10 from our wallet for a little thrill of a ride.

  • Blue Origin have proven their sub-orbital rocket and capsule , I imagine they will start tourist flights in 2021. You get to experience a rocket takeoff, get to 300,000 feet (edge of Karman line) and it'll land close to the takeoff site. Once they have multiple vehicles running the cost will drop as well.

    Also in a couple years once SpaceX has a few more successful manned flights they will absolutely start building extra Dragon 2 capsules and selling seats for orbital trips. Full orbit, hours and hours of

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by Anonymous Coward

      Also in a couple years once SpaceX has a few more successful manned flights they will absolutely start building extra Dragon 2 capsules and selling seats for orbital trips. Full orbit, hours and hours of weightlessness and getting to experience a "real" takeoff on a production rocket that's used by actual astronauts. Virgin, BO or these guys won't be able to compete with that.

      Unless you can't afford the ~$60 million/launch cost of Falcon 9.

  • Heard this one before. (Score:3)

    by Jason1729 ( 561790 ) on Sunday June 21, 2020 @12:38PM (#60209174)
    The passenger cabin, lifted by a huge hydrogen-filled balloon, will climb at a sedate 12 miles per hour to an altitude of about 30 miles high.

    Hydrogen??? We all know how this story ends. The humanity.

  • Felix Baumgartner (Score:4, Interesting)

    by MS ( 18681 ) on Sunday June 21, 2020 @12:54PM (#60209208)

    Do they also sell tickets at half price for one way only? Base jumpers like Felix might love that for a jump. See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]

  • Comment removed (Score:3)

    by account_deleted ( 4530225 ) on Sunday June 21, 2020 @01:22PM (#60209298)
    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  • Comment removed (Score:3)

    by account_deleted ( 4530225 ) on Sunday June 21, 2020 @01:27PM (#60209322)
    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  • opportunities for civilian astronauts to experience this planet Earth from the edge of space, a privilege previously available to only a few.

    "previously"... as if a $125k ticket price changes this in any meaningful way.

    Don't get me wrong: I'm all for the further development of space tourism, cheaper launch vehicles and so on. But I primarily see that as a step on the path to reduce this cost for the public at large. Not to provide a fun ride for the happy few. If their money helps make it cheaper for everybody else, great. But giving regular people a chance to see the Earth from space, should be the goal. Creating a fun ride for the

    • Don’t worry, the write up mentions your company will be doing this as a company event, maybe for the Christmas party, because $125K / head company events are a thing. Hey, sorry, no bonus or raise, and we’re laying off 20% of the staff, but the C-suite is going to space, isn’t that great! Enjoy the complementary popcorn and beer as you watch us from the ground.

  • Huh (Score:2)

    by TRRosen ( 720617 )

    30 miles? Rounding up a bit arenâ(TM)t we? Itâ(TM)s not even 20.

  • 50min flight to 17-22km (55,000-72,000ft) in a MiG-29 for only â17,500: https://migflug.com/flights-pr... [migflug.com] (No bar or toilet)

  • I wonder if they can do away with the cabin, the toilets and the bar and just strap a rocket to the bottom of the balloon. Once at the maximum height, fire up the rocket and let it fly up to space.

    I suspect the weights and masses don't work out for any sizeable launch though :-( I guess a rocket exhaust and a hydrogen filled balloon might not go well together either.

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