The company Paragon, maker of equipment and suits for the international space station, has come up with an adventurous new idea. That being, anyone who wishes to can be taken out 19 miles (30 km) into the stratosphere.
Of course, wishing will not be enough - every enthusiast will have to pay $75, 000 for the ride, as estimated so far.
The capsule, that will take those willing 19 miles (30 km) above the Earth, will weigh 8800 lbs (4 tons) and will rise with the aid of a helium balloon. The capacity of the capsule is 8 persons. For the finale of this extreme experience, the capsule will separate from the balloon and come down to Earth using a special parachute.
This new project will not be much different than the trip that Felix Baumgartner took in 2012. He jumped from an estimated 24 mi (39 km) height, but the tourists who plan on taking a similar trip will not be jumping but lowered toward the Earth instead.
Before ascension, tourists will not be specially trained for the experience, because, experts claim, the distance will not be enough to cause weightlessness. Passengers will spend some time above the Earth's surface and be able to get up and walk around.
At this stage, it is known that these extravagant and extremely adventurous voyages will become available in 2016. The project is actually the work of a daughter company of Paragon, named World View.
There are still no details because before all of this can be turned into reality, World View will have to go through many challenges and procedures.
The head and co-founder of Paragon, Taber MacCallum, is convinced that the view that tourists will get will be truly impressive.
The company is thinking about advertising the new tourist destination as an "unforgettable view of the Earth, " and not as a space flight, since technically, 19 miles (30 km) above the Earth is not space. Paragon is also behind the ambitious idea of sending astronauts to Mars in 2018.
