Forget rocket ships. Balloons are the next frontier in space tourism. According to Bloomberg, the French company has now declared that it will begin transporting people into space in a balloon by 2025. You may experience unmatched sights in the lap of luxury on the six-hour round trip to the edge of space, which starts at $132,000, (37,409,037.60)Â Pakistani Rupee per person.
The “edge” of space, though there is no universally recognised boundary, is typically thought to be between 50 and 62 miles above the surface of the Earth. Zephalto’s hydrogen- or helium-filled balloons will take off from France and ascend 15.5 miles (25 km) into the stratosphere over the course of 1.5 hours. To make sure you get your money’s worth, the balloon will hover at its highest point for three hours. Another hour and a half is needed for the descent.
Zephalto chose a height of 25 kilometres because that is the point at which you are in complete darkness with 98 percent of the atmosphere below you, allowing you to see the blue line depicting the curvature of the Earth. According to Vincent Farret d’Astiès, the founder of Zephalto and an aerospace engineer, “you are in the darkness of space without experiencing zero gravity.
Zephalto is not the only business in the space race with a balloon; World View and Space Perspective intend to offer comparable trips even sooner, in 2024. However, the newcomer does appear to be going for a rather opulent aboard experience.
Joseph Dirand will bring the balloon’s inside to life. The sophisticated eateries Loulou and Monsieur Bleu, as well as the trendy Balmain and Givenchy boutiques in Paris, are all the work of the French designer. In order to avoid drawing attention away from the views, he has chosen a simple aesthetic.
“You need psychological preparation,” Farret d’Astiès continues. “We know that seeing Earth in the dark is an experience that can be emotional from the 600 people who have gone above this altitude.”
Zephalto anticipates operating 60 flights each year. Although the crew has now conducted three test flights with pilots, no balloon has yet to travel 15.5 miles. A flight later this year, according to Farret d’Astiès, should accomplish this. Stay tuned.
