14 DAY TRIAL // Officials at the Spanish suborbital tourism company Zero 2 Infinity have recently revealed a new balloon design that they say will be used to conduct joy rides up to a third of the distance to the edge of space. The launch procedure has already been tested, albeit unsuccessfully.
Last month, a scaled-down version of the helium-filled balloon and its passenger pod were launched from the ground, as the video below will demonstrate. However, regular flights are not expected to commence until 2017.
While the company acknowledges that its vehicle will not be able to reach space, it argues that the views it will provide its customers will be worth every penny. Travelers will be able to see the curvature of horizon and the blackness of space.
However, the company began the testing phase of this project on the wrong foot. During the launch maneuvers that took place on May 29, a strong gust of wind damaged the balloon's large envelope.
Zero 2 Infinity representatives announce that a reiteration of the test will take place soon, though an exact date has not been provided. They add that each balloon will be able to carry six people, 2 crew members and 4 passengers, Space reports.
The vehicle's flight ceiling is estimated at 22 miles (36 kilometers), a far cry from the 62-mile (100-kilometer) boundary that is widely considered to be the edge of space. Previous tests, conducted with a balloon half the size of the planned design, were conducted in 2010 as well.
During a June 2010 test, the bloon, as the company calls it, reached an altitude of 20 miles (33 kilometers). Another test, conducted in October 2010, saw the bloon soar to 15 miles (24 kilometers) above Earth's surface.
Passengers will return to Earth inside the pod, which will travel to the ground attached to large parachutes. An airbag system will be installed underneath the pod, to cushion the landing even further.
An estimate of how much a ticket on the bloon will cost has not yet been provided. Though it cannot compete with other companies providing access to suborbital altitude, Zero 2 Infinity could make itself into a lower-cost option for the masses.