Almost half of all Americans desire to go to space. However, according to a 2021 study conducted by ValuePenguin, one of LendingTree's financial analysis websites, the other half does not. Almost 40% thought space flight was too risky while others were concerned about the environmental effect and expenses.

According to firms who aim to transport passengers into "space" through high-altitude balloons, Stratospheric balloons aren't new - they've been used for scientific and weather research since the early 20th century, but transporting groups of paying passengers in them is.

There will soon be an alternative that solves their concerns. A space tourism company will take people on 'life-changing' balloon excursions to the edge of space beginning in 2025, but a ticket on board will cost $200,000.

Halo Space Flight, located in Madrid, intends to offer 'zero emission' passenger flights onboard a sleek circular capsule tethered to an inflated balloon. The capsule, which will accommodate eight people plus one pilot on every journey, features panoramic windows that provide panoramic views of the Earth at a height of about 25 miles (40 kilometers).

Witnessing the Earth's Edge

Halo Space has announced that its maiden flight test of a prototype space capsule will take place in India in December. After successful trials, the business hopes to launch commercial flights in 2025, with aspirations to eventually have flying bases on four continents, according to its website.

It will conduct 400 commercial voyages with 3,000 passengers per year beginning in 2029, with tickets costing around 100,000 and 200,000 euros ($98,000 to $196,000). Visitors will have the opportunity to witness the Earth's curvature for 4-6 hours - a "mind-blowing" experience.

The Halo Space prototype will launch in the third week of December from the Tata Institute for Fundamental Research (TIFR) balloon site in Hyderabad, India. The prototype will fly for around six hours into the stratosphere (the second layer of the Earth's atmosphere). A second test flight is already scheduled for the end of the first quarter of 2023 in Spain.

Flight to the edge of the earth.
(Photo : Halo Space)
Madrid-based company Halo Space is planning to offer zero-emission commercial flights aboard a circular capsule attached to an inflated balloon, allowing paying customers to see the curvature of the planet Earth for 4-6 hours.

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Celestial Commercial Flights

Stratospheric balloons have been used for science-based and meteorological study ever since the early twentieth century. However, moving large groups of passenger flights in them is not, as reported by CNBC.

HALO Space will allow over 10,000 individuals to experience the halo effect from the edge. This decade in terms of space will do it in a secure and environmentally friendly manner, setting the path for future generations for the start of space travel and a new tourist idea that can maintain the clean atmosphere of space

HALO will notify possible passengers when a flight opportunity is confirmed and make all arrangements so that they may be at the flight base up to a week before the flight. During then, passengers will not only be able to attain fellow explorers but will also be able to take advantage of the tourist options at each of HALO's stunning launch locations, as the website report added.

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