The X Prize awarded $10,000,000 to the first non-government organization to launch a reusable manned spacecraft to a height of 100 kilometers, twice within two weeks. A Spanish entrepreneur who wants to take private astronauts to “near-space” argues that the 100-km definition of space is somewhat arbitrary. Autotopia has more on his audacious plans:
A Spanish entrepreneur wants to give you a glimpse of the black expanse of space and the curvature of the earth from a most unusual vantage point — a balloon.
José Mariano López-Urdiales, the founder of zero2infinity, is offering what he calls the “near-space†experience of viewing the planet and the space beyond it from 36 km [22 miles] above the earth. He hopes to have the first passengers aloft in the near-space vehicle called a “bloon†— the company doesn’t appear to be big on capital letters — by the middle of this decade.
That altitude is a long ways from the height of more than 100 km promised by Virgin Galactic and others developing suborbital space tourism vehicles. But López-Urdiales argues the 100-km definition of space is somewhat arbitrary and the view from 36 km offers essentially the same viewing experience as higher altitudes.
Going to space as a tourist in a balloon offers several distinct advantages over a rocket ship:
- Longer flight times
- No age or health restrictions
- Quiet and peaceful vs. noisy and intense