World View to Take Passengers to Edge of Space

World View, the leading stratospheric ballooning company, has announced an expansion of services that includes the global launch of the first-of-its-kind, edge-of-space experience. The World View space tourism experience is the most affordable, longest duration and most accessible space experience on Earth. 

As a purpose-first company, World View is focused on inspiring, creating and exploring new perspectives, offering participants more accessibility to space tourism experiences than ever before. World View’s mission is to bring as many people as possible to the edge of space so that at 100,000 feet, they’ll see a world without borders or species and come back driven to make the world a better place. The company believes that by reaching a critical mass of people experiencing what has been labeled the Overview Effect that humanity will be able to markedly improve the future of our fragile Earth.

Mission: Rediscover Earth

Beginning today, World View is accepting deposits for its edge-of-space trips. With an initial deposit of $500, participants can reserve their place in line for commercial flights. Priced at $50,000 per seat with flexible financing options available, the cost is noticeably lower than any other civilian space tourism flight available today. World View’s first commercial flights are expected to begin in early 2024 with non-profit Space For Humanity securing the inaugural commercial flight.

World View voyages will originate out of the Seven Wonders of the World, Stratospheric Edition™, for a stratospheric perspective few have ever seen. The spaceport locations, in order of projected opening date, include:

• Grand Canyon, United States
• Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia
• Serengeti, Kenya
• Aurora Borealis, Norway
• Amazonia, Brazil
• Giza Pyramids, Egypt
• Great Wall of China, Mongolia

The World View experience is unlike any other. The voyages, originating out of World View Spaceports at the Seven Wonders of the World Stratospheric Edition™, are built around a five-day fully immersive experience. Participants will be offered excursions from the Spaceports, enabling them to fully experience and immerse themselves in the beauty, fragility, history, and importance of the areas surrounding the Seven Wonders.

Flights will lift eight participants and two World View crew members in a zero-pressure stratospheric balloon and pressurized space capsule to 100,000 feet altitude, nearly 23 miles into the stratosphere for a transformative experience that will last six to 12 hours. World View participants will rise from spaceports across the world, gently floating in the atmosphere for hours to experience the Earth’s curvature and the darkness of space, taking them four times higher than a commercial flight. From this vantage point, participants will witness the fragility of Earth and appreciate the planet without borders.

“World View’s ambition is to change the conversation around space tourism. It’s not just a joyride, it’s so much bigger and more important than that. By designing a space tourism experience that is more affordable and more accessible to more people, we’re hoping to give as many humans as possible the chance to see our planet from unprecedented new heights,” said Ryan Hartman, World View president and CEO. “We’re redefining space tourism for participants by spending hours at apogee, building memories around some of Earth’s most magnificent wonders.”

World View Explorer Space Capsule Overview

World View designed the Explorer Space Capsule to offer an elevated luxury experience including a personal in-flight concierge, in-flight dining and bar, internet data connection, access to Earth-view cameras and star-view telescopes, individual viewing screens, fully reclining seats and an on-board lavatory.

Bringing Space Tourism Down To Earth

World View believes in giving as many people as possible the chance to experience this life-changing voyage, with flights offered at more affordable prices, along with easy financing options. The World View ascent and descent is safe and gentle, making it possible for adults of virtually any age and physical condition to enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime event.

Interested participants can now make a $500 deposit to reserve their place in line. When the time comes to book their flight, a booking window will open for those at the front of the line.

World View also announced that Space for Humanity, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to expanding access to space for all humanity, has secured the first commercial flight, which will take a cohort of citizen astronauts, selected by the organization, to experience the Overview Effect from space for the first time. Space for Humanity’s citizen astronauts are selected through the organization’s rigorous review process. Once selected, they receive specialized training, specifically around how they will use their experience in space to tackle some of our biggest challenges as leaders here on Earth. In addition to training, Space for Humanity covers all expenses for citizen astronauts, which are paid for through the organization’s fundraising efforts.

“We are very excited about securing World View’s first commercial capsule,” said Rachel Lyons, executive director of Space for Humanity. “Our mission is to expand access to space to all and in doing so, support the transformation of our world’s most ambitious leaders so they can use their experience in space to create positive change here on Earth. This is a groundbreaking time for space tourism and we’re looking forward to giving more people the opportunity to experience it for themselves.”

A Proven Legacy

Over the last seven years, World View has led the way in the emerging stratospheric economy, unlocking affordable new applications with the introduction of the un-crewed Stratollite flight vehicle, and the design and development of the stratospheric balloons, and the Explore Space Capsule.

World View has pioneered exploration of the stratosphere through groundbreaking research and discovery. The organization engineered and patented sophisticated takeoff and landing systems, and developed complex methodologies for maintaining and controlling trajectories in the stratosphere. These innovations have led to work with NASA and other government, scientific and aerospace organizations that require persistent and reliable access to the stratosphere.

In 2014, World View carried Alan Eustace 135,890 feet above Earth to world records for the highest and longest free fall, records that still stand today.