Startup to Offer Balloon Rides to Near-Space for $75,000

A startup company based in Tucson, Ariz., will soon offer you the chance to see Earth from near-space by balloon — that is, if you have $75,000 dollars to spare.

World View plans to offer the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity through a ride inside a capsule attached to a huge helium balloon. Fully inflated, the balloon is reportedly the size of a football field. The Los Angeles Times reported that the trip would take six passengers and two crew members 18 miles above the Earth.

See also: Forget Dried Ice Cream, This Kid Wants to Brew Beer in Space

Flight testing could begin as early as next year and, while no point of departure has been chosen yet, the company cited New Mexico and Arizona as options. While 18 miles above the Earth doesn't technically qualify as outer space, we suspect that won't make the view any less cool.

An official video shows a simulation of the trip. A giant balloon would lift the capsule into the air and several transparent sections would allow viewers to look out from all sides of the structure.

Passengers will be able to gaze at Earth for about two hours, according to an official statement, before returning to their home planet. The company has joined forces with Paragon Space Development Corporation, which has already begun "component testing." Watch the video, above, to find out more.

1. 

   1. Moon Rock

   You can purchase a 25 milligram slice of the moon through ThinkGeek for just $99.99. While that may not seem like a sizable chunk, think about what it means: You'll have an actual piece of the moon and you can do whatever you want with it.

   Look at it, keep it on a shelf, eat it and see if it gives you moon powers -- whatever. If you can dream it, you can do it.

2. 

   2. Mars Rock

   For the person with everything, there's Mars fragments. Use it as a conversation piece, a good luck charm or a constant reminder of the place you'll never get to visit.

   Alternatively, you could buy a hundred of them and add some sci-fi pizazz to the bottom of your fish tank.

3. 

   3. Stars

   Stars -- or rather, the right to name them -- have been a popular gift for space lovers for decades. Though plenty of online dealers are more than happy to accept your money in order to name a star, the International Astronomical Union is the only internationally recognized authority for naming celestial bodies -- and they stick to the scientific, categorical type. So, if you decide to purchase the naming rights to a star, you'll have to accept the fact that it's only valid to you.

4. 

   4. ARKYD Telescope

   ARKYD, the first publicly accessible space telescope that raised more than $1.5 million on Kickstarter, allows anyone to take pictures of space. It's similar to Hubble, though it's designed for personal interest and research.

   It's free to explore the stars with ARKYD (or project your own pictures above the Earth); all you need to do is sign up.

5. 

   5. Columbia Shuttle Thermal Tile

   For $107 you can own a piece of thermal tile built for Space Shuttle Columbia in the 1970's. The tile, discarded during production of the spacecraft, comes with a statement of authenticity and a display frame.

6. 

   6. Personal Spacecraft

   In his Kickstarter project, "KickSat -- Your personal spacecraft in space!" Zachary Manchester offered backers their own personal "Sprite" spacecraft. The small devices contain solar cells and a microcontroller, giving them the ability to broadcast your initials before they burn up in the Earth's atmosphere before reentry.

   A total of 115 of the devices were purchased and launch is set for "no earlier than Jan. 14, 2014."

7. 

   7. Meteorite Fragments

   For $34.95 you can own 3 meteorite fragments, to do with whatever you choose. Use them as bookends, juggle them to impress house guests, tell your friends you caught them from the sky with your bare hands -- you are only limited by your imagination.

8. 

   8. Space Particle Necklaces

   These cool glass necklaces contain trace amounts of moon dust, Mars dust and meteorite fragments. If you buy all three and wear them together you can probably conquer death and become a Super Saiyan.

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Image: World View Enterprises, Inc.