14 DAY TRIAL // To date, only a few hundred people have gone to space. But you can expect that number to increase several times in the next decade. There are quite a few companies already working on bringing people into space or, at least, into high altitudes above Earth.
Virgin Galactic hopes to start ferrying people next year above the atmosphere and have them experience weightlessness for a few minutes.
SpaceX is focusing more on the commercial aspects of space travel rather than passenger flights, but it is working on making its Dragon capsule suitable for humans.
There are other ways of getting a spectacular view of the Earth though; a new space tourism company is hoping to offer unique experiences at the edge of space with the help of a balloon.
For a measly $75,000 (€54,500) – Virgin Galactic asks for more than three times that – World View will take you up to 30 km (about 100,000 feet). You'll get a great view of the curvature of the planet and all the weather below from up there.
What's more, you'll be able to spend several hours enjoying the view, for example, catching a breathtaking space sunrise or sunset. The balloon, because it will fly above Earth's atmosphere, will be labeled a space vehicle.
"Passengers will be among the few to have seen the curvature of the Earth with their own eyes. They will be able to gaze at the astounding views, the blackness of space, the brilliance of stars and the thin veil of atmosphere enveloping our planet – scenes previously witnessed exclusively by astronauts," the company boasted.
The company still has to build the balloon and capsule and there are some regulatory obstacles to go through, but the project isn't that far-fetched. After all, Felix Baumgartner jumped from higher than what World View's balloon would achieve.