The Test Flight

Space Perspective’s goal is to give passengers a serene journey to the edge of space, without the intense speed, heavy G-forces, or tough training that come with rocket launches. The pressurized capsule, launched from the MS Voyager, slowly rose at 12 miles per hour, taking two hours to reach the stratosphere. It then floated at peak altitude for another two hours before making a controlled descent, landing softly in the ocean after a six-hour flight. A quick boat and crane were ready to retrieve the capsule, demonstrating the smooth and efficient operation of the space journey.

The success of the test flight was a result of five years of hard work. “Completing Development Flight 2 is a defining moment for Space Perspective,” said Taber MacCallum, co-founder and Chief Technology Officer. “I’m so proud of our devoted team who has worked relentlessly to execute this mission, drawing from their deep expertise and designing solutions for never-been-seen technologies. This uncrewed flight not only proves our pioneering technology but also brings us a giant leap closer to making space accessible for everyone and reaffirms our belief in the transformative power of space travel.”

Technology and System Overview

Spaceship Neptune has three main parts: the SpaceBalloon, the pressurized capsule, and a Reserve Descent System―four parachutes between the capsule and balloon—that can activate at once if anything goes wrong, ensuring a safe landing.

The balloon was launched using a special four-roller system, which kept it steady and safe as it climbed into the stratosphere. This system allows them to operate flights year-round from anywhere in the world. The capsule designed to carry eight passengers and a pilot, is spacious with a 16-foot diameter, providing over 2,000 cubic feet of pressurized space. It also has the largest UV-protected windows ever flown into space. At its highest point, the cabin pressure stayed stable, highlighting impressive engineering in spacecraft design.

The capsule’s advanced temperature control systems kept everything comfortable during the flight, even as it faced the freezing cold of the upper atmosphere and the intense heat from the sun. The SpaceBalloon, when fully expanded, has a volume of 18,000,000 cubic feet—large enough to fit an entire football stadium. Standing over 700 feet tall at launch, the SpaceBalloon surpasses the height of the Washington Monument. Hydrogen, used as the lift gas, is both renewable and effective, marking a step toward eco-friendly space travel.

Mission Control closely monitored the operations, testing out their special software and communication systems. The spaceship’s descent is controlled by releasing just enough gas to maintain a comfortable descent speed.

Jane Poynter, co-founder of Space Perspective, shared her excitement, saying, “This flight showed how smooth and accessible the Spaceship Neptune experience is, from the gentle ascent to the splashdown.”

Looking Ahead

Space Perspective has raised $100 million from investors and adheres to safety standards set by the FAA, U.S. Coast Guard, and NASA. Notably, Sir Richard Branson, the founder of Virgin Galactic, is also one of their investors. On October 17, the company announced that Branson will join co-founders Jane Poynter and Taber MacCallum as a co-pilot for the first crewed mission of Spaceship Neptune. Branson has a long history of bold adventures and record-breaking feats in both business and exploration. In ballooning, his memorable achievements are his hot-air balloon flights with Per Lindstrand, crossing the Atlantic in 1987 and the Pacific in 1991.

Space Perspective plans to run a few more test flights before taking people up in 2025, with regular commercial flights starting in 2026. They’ve already sold over 1,800 tickets, each costing $125,000.

According to Jane Poynter, the best views will be during predawn departures, when ‘explorers’ can marvel at the starscape before sunrise, and then watch the Sun light up the Earth’s curvature, highlighting the bright blue line of our atmosphere, and the dark vastness of space. Passengers will have a nearly 360-degree view, stretching 450 miles in every direction through the panoramic windows. The six-hour flight offers many opportunities to take photos, enjoy meals and drinks, and even livestream the journey to share with loved ones on Earth. And for those who need a bathroom break, there’s the ‘Space Spa’ with an unparalleled view of the universe.

Space tourism is a new frontier for adventurous explorers, but the idea of traveling by a thin polyethylene balloon can make people nervous. A common question is, ‘What if the balloon tears or pops?’ Well, Space Perspective has an answer. They use SpaceBalloon technology, which has been tested over 1,000 times by NASA and other organizations, so it’s proven to be very safe. The balloon is a ‘zero-pressure’ type, meaning there’s no pressure difference between the inside and the outside, so it can’t actually pop. Even if it punctures, the balloon will just slowly descend and land safely, ensuring everyone on board is secure. The backup Reserve Descent System, with parachutes that have brought people and equipment back safely from space over 1,000 times, adds another layer of safety.

Some people are concerned about using hydrogen because it’s highly flammable. Space Perspective explains they had two options for lifting Spaceship Neptune—helium or hydrogen. Helium is safe, but it’s also a non-renewable gas and is in short supply. It’s needed for important medical equipment like MRIs, so using it for space travel would compete with those critical needs.

Hydrogen, on the other hand, is a renewable resource and is now widely used in fuel cells, vehicles, and even airplanes worldwide. Modern balloon technology has come a long way since the Hindenburg airship disaster in 1937. The tragedy happened because the airship wasn’t designed to safely use hydrogen—hydrogen mixed with air, creating a combustible situation, which was then ignited by a spark that led to the fire. Today, however, hydrogen balloons are designed with advanced safety measures, and thousands of flights are conducted safely every year. Hydrogen has become a reliable and proven option for balloon travel.

For those wondering, ‘Is 100,000 feet really space?’ Technically, it’s not. The official boundary, called the Kármán line, is at 328,084 feet, or 100 kilometers, above sea level. But at 100,000 feet, you’re already above 99% of Earth’s atmosphere, and for practical purposes—like the breathtaking view, the conditions for human safety, and the sense of being beyond Earth—you are in space. Passengers get to experience an incredible, otherworldly view that very few have seen before. Plus, at that altitude, the flight meets U.S. regulations to be classified as a spacecraft.

In addition to tourism, the company supports scientific research by planning to carry research equipment alongside passengers in future flights. The largely unexplored stratosphere offers numerous opportunities for new experiments and discoveries. Their team has been part of developing every U.S. human spacecraft over the past 40 years. They use patented technologies based on designs tested by NASA and other organizations—proven to handle payloads even heavier than the Spaceship Neptune capsule.

Space Perspective, based on Florida’s Space Coast, was founded by Jane Poynter and Taber MacCallum, veterans of human spaceflight and original members of the Biosphere 2 project. Their background includes developing environmental control systems for the International Space Station (ISS) through their company, Paragon Space Development Corporation. In 2014, their StratEx team launched Alan Eustace to 135,908 feet under a space balloon, breaking the Red Bull Stratos record for the highest space dive. With decades of experience, the Space Perspective team is pushing the boundaries of space tourism, making it accessible to more people than ever before.

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Modern weather forecasting may benefit from cutting-edge technology like radar and satellites, but it also builds on practices that date back centuries. Our quest to understand the atmosphere began in 1749 in Europe, where scientists used kites to carry thermometers to upper altitudes. By flying these kites high, they were able to gather valuable data on the upper air.

A few years later, in 1752, Benjamin Franklin famously flew a kite during a thunderstorm, to prove the electrical nature of lightning. This marked the beginning of a fascinating journey, leading to remarkable advancements in weather observation and atmospheric science.

In 1780s France, the invention of the hot air balloon and gas balloon quickly became a tool to study the atmosphere. Scientists boarded balloon baskets and ascended into the atmosphere with instruments like barometers and thermometers to study the atmosphere’s structure, chemistry, and behavior. While these manned flights offered valuable insights, they were perilous—extreme cold, lack of oxygen, and inadequate equipment led to serious injuries and even deaths. Despite the risks, these early ascents laid crucial groundwork for meteorological science.

Since the early days of ballooning, various measurements were taken during flights. However, one of the first documented uses of balloons specifically for weather measurement was by French meteorologist Léon Teisserenc de Bort. Beginning in 1896, he actively launched weather balloons, and his pioneering work led to the discovery of the tropopause and the stratosphere. This breakthrough later became the foundation for the widespread use of weather balloons in atmospheric research.

As the 19th century progressed, kites continued to be valuable tools for atmospheric observation. By the late 1800s, the United States Weather Bureau and other organizations had established kite observation stations, where kites lifted meteorological instruments into the sky. These “meteorographs” recorded pressure, temperature, and humidity. However, kites had their limitations. They could only reach altitudes of about 3 kilometers (9843 feet), and the data could not be analyzed until the kite was brought back to earth. Moreover, weather conditions had to be just right—not too calm, not too stormy—or the kite could break loose and cause potential harm below.

By the late 19th century, meteorographs had advanced enough to be carried by free-floating, unmanned balloons. These balloons soared to the stratosphere, reaching heights far beyond the capabilities of kites. Yet, this method had its own challenges. Once the balloon burst due to high internal pressure, the meteorograph would fall to the ground, where it might remain for days, weeks, or forever, depending on whether it was found.

The early 20th century saw a shift from kites to aircraft for atmospheric observations. Between 1925 and 1943, the Weather Bureau and the Army Air Corps operated a network of 30 aircraft stations across the United States. These planes carried meteorographs, but like kites, they could only fly in good weather, and data could not be analyzed until the plane returned to base. Despite reaching altitudes of up to 5 kilometers, the limitations of aircraft observations prompted scientists to seek more reliable methods.

The answer came in the form of weather balloons. By the 1930s, scientists had developed radio transmitters to suspend from weather balloons, leading to the creation of radiosondes—devices that transmitted real-time weather data back to earth.

World War II further accelerated the need for upper-air data, driving rapid advancements in radiosonde technology. By 1937, the Weather Bureau had established a network of radiosonde stations that continues to operate today. Radiosondes, tracked during flight to provide wind data, became known as “rawinsonde” observations, which contributed to weather forecasts and increased understanding of atmospheric processes. However, in the early days of rawinsonde stations, the valuable data they collected for weather forecasting was challenging to analyze. Without computer processing systems, this task was labor-intensive and time-consuming. The process relied heavily on manual work, making it less efficient.

A groundbreaking discovery in atmospheric science emerged in the 1950s, thanks to the pioneering efforts of James Van Allen. Known for his numerous weather balloon experiments, Van Allen also conducted critical research using “rockoons” (rockets launched from high-altitude balloons) to explore cosmic radiation and Earth’s upper atmosphere. These experiments provided the first hint of radiation belts surrounding Earth. In 1958, instruments designed by Van Allen on the Explorer 1 satellite confirmed the existence of these intense radiation belts, which were later named the Van Allen Belts. Formed by Earth’s magnetosphere, these belts protect our planet from harmful solar winds and storms.

Over the years, computing technology transformed many industries, including meteorology. By 1980, advancements in telemetry and computers had made rawinsonde observations nearly automated, reducing the need for manual work. Today, weather balloons remain an essential tool for meteorologists, with about 70,000 launches each year in North America alone. These floating weather stations carry advanced instruments—such as thermometers, barometers, hygrometers, cameras, and even telescopes—high into the atmosphere. In the U.S., 92 sites launch weather balloons twice daily as part of the Global Radiosonde Network, which includes 900 sites worldwide.

Nowadays, weather data comes from a variety of sources, including satellites, weather stations, balloons, aircraft, and radar systems. Weather forecasting starts with observing the current atmosphere. Sensors on land, sea, air, and in space collect billions of data points daily, giving meteorologists a complete view of the planet. In the U.S., 90% of this data comes from satellites, but other tools are equally important.  

On land, the Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS) at airports measures weather conditions, while Doppler radars track precipitation. At sea, buoys monitor sea temperature and wave heights, crucial for predicting storms like nor’easters and hurricanes. Additionally, commercial aircraft equipped with sensors gather weather data during flights. In the air, weather balloons launched daily across the country measure conditions beyond 15,000 feet.

Meteorologists gather all this information and, most of the time, can create accurate short- and long-term weather forecasts. From simple kites to sophisticated weather balloons, humanity’s quest to explore the atmosphere has paved the way for today’s advanced atmospheric research, which now extends to the edges of outer space.

Featured Image: Meteorologist Sid King, NOAA

Sitara Maruf
Sitara@ltaflightmagazine.com

Popular science fiction of the early 20th century depicted Venus as some kind of wonderland of pleasantly warm temperatures, forests, swamps and even dinosaurs. In 1950, the Hayden Planetarium at the American Natural History Museum were soliciting reservations for the first space tourism mission, well before the modern era of Blue Origins, SpaceX , and Virgin Galactic. All you had to do was supply your address and tick the box for your preferred destination, which included Venus.

Today, Venus is unlikely to be a dream destination for aspiring space tourists. As revealed by numerous missions in the last few decades, rather than being a paradise, the planet is a hellish world of infernal temperatures, a corrosive toxic atmosphere and crushing pressures at the surface. Despite this, NASA is currently working on a conceptual manned mission to Venus, named the High Altitude Venus Operational Concept – (HAVOC).

But how is such a mission even possible? Temperatures on the planet’s surface (about 860°F or 460°C) are in fact hotter than Mercury, even though Venus is roughly double the distance from the sun. This is higher than the melting point of many metals including bismuth and lead, which may even fall as “snow” onto the higher mountain peaks. The surface is a barren rocky landscape consisting of vast plains of basaltic rock dotted with volcanic features, and several continent-scale mountainous regions.

It is also geologically young, having undergone catastrophic resurfacing events. Such extreme events are caused by the build up of heat below the surface, eventually causing it to melt, release heat and re-solidify. Certainly a scary prospect for any visitors.

Hovering in the atmosphere

Luckily, the idea behind NASA’s new mission is not to land people on the inhospitable surface, but to use the dense atmosphere as a base for exploration. No actual date for a HAVOC type mission has been publicly announced yet. This mission is a long term plan and will rely on small test missions to be successful first. Such a mission is actually possible, right now, with current technology. The plan is to use airships which can stay aloft in the upper atmosphere for extended periods of time.

As surprising as it may seem, the upper atmosphere of Venus is the most Earth-like location in the solar system. Between altitudes of 50 km and 60 km, the pressure and temperature can be compared to regions of the Earth’s lower atmosphere. The atmospheric pressure in the Venusian atmosphere at 55 km is about half that of the pressure at sea level on Earth. In fact you would be fine without a pressure suit, as this is roughly equivalent to the air pressure you would encounter at the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro. Nor would you need to insulate yourself as the temperature here ranges between 68°F and 86°F (20°C and 30°C).

The atmosphere above this altitude is also dense enough to protect astronauts from ionising radiation from space. The closer proximity of the sun provides an even greater abundance of available solar radiation than on Earth, which can be used to generate power (approximately 1.4 times greater).

The conceptual airship would float around the planet, being blown by the wind. It could, usefully, be filled with a breathable gas mixture such as oxygen and nitrogen, providing buoyancy. This is possible because breathable air is less dense than the Venusian atmosphere and, as result, would be a lifting gas.

The Venusian atmosphere is comprised of 97% carbon dioxide, about 3% nitrogen and trace amounts of other gases. It famously contains a sprinkling of sulphuric acid which forms dense clouds and is a major contributor to its visible brightness when viewed from Earth. In fact the planet reflects some 75% of the light that falls onto it from the sun. This highly reflective cloud layer exists between 45 km and 65 km, with a haze of sulphuric acid droplets underneath down to about 30 km. As such, an airship design would need to be resistant to the corrosive effect of this acid.

Luckily we already have the technology required to overcome the problem of acidity. Several commercially available materials, including teflon and a number of plastics, have a high acidic resistance and could be used for the outer envelope of the airship. Considering all these factors, conceivably you could go for a walk on a platform outside the airship, carrying only your air supply and wearing a chemical hazard suit.

Life on Venus?

The surface of Venus has been mapped from orbit by radar on the US Magellan mission. However, only a few locations on the surface have ever been visited, by the series of Venera missions of Soviet probes in the late 1970s. These probes returned the first – and so far only – images of the Venusian surface. Certainly surface conditions seem utterly inhospitable to any kind of life.

The upper atmosphere is a different story however. Certain kinds of extremophile organisms already exist on Earth which could withstand the conditions in the atmosphere at the altitude at which HAVOC would fly. Species such as Acidianus infernus can be found in highly acidic volcanic lakes in Iceland and Italy. Airborne microbes have also been found to exist in Earth’s clouds. None of this proves that life exists in the Venusian atmosphere, but it is a possibility that could be investigated by a mission like HAVOC.

The current climatic conditions and composition of the atmosphere are the result of a runaway greenhouse effect (an extreme greenhouse effect that cannot be reversed), which transformed the planet from a hospitable Earth-like “twin” world in its early history. While we do not currently expect Earth to undergo a similarly extreme scenario, it does demonstrate that dramatic changes to a planetary climate can happen when certain physical conditions arise.

By testing our current climate models using the extremes seen on Venus we can more accurately determine how various climate forcing effects can lead to dramatic changes. Venus therefore provides us with a means to test the extremes of our current climate modelling, with all the inherent implications for the ecological health of our own planet.

We still know relatively little about Venus, despite it being our nearest planetary neighbor. Ultimately, learning how two very similar planets can have such different pasts will help us understand the evolution of the solar system and perhaps even that of other star systems.

Authors:  Gareth Dorrian, Nottingham Trent University and Ian Whittaker, Nottingham Trent University

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Top featured image: There are plans to cause HAVOC on Venus. Credit: Advanced Concepts Lab at NASA Langley Research Center

Gareth Dorrian, Post Doctoral Research Associate in Space Science, Nottingham Trent University and Ian Whittaker, Lecturer, Nottingham Trent University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

In addition, some of the balloons will carry instruments to gather data about the effects of an eclipse on our atmosphere. Others will carry samples of bacteria as part of a NASA experiment. These space-based solar observatories and Earth-bound telescopes promise to give a well-rounded coverage of the major celestial event.

“We have spent the last three years researching and building the camera payloads and ground stations in preparation for eclipse day.” explains Angela Des Jardins, Director of the Montana Space Grant Consortium and leader of the Eclipse Ballooning Project.

A total solar eclipse occurs when the moon blocks out the sun as it passes between the sun and Earth, casting its shadow on Earth. Though such an eclipse occurs once every 18 months, it is rare for the eclipse to take place in densely populated land regions of our planet, as most of them occur above water, given that three-fourths of Earth’s surface is water.

The total eclipse of the sun will grace and sweep across the continental United States for the first time since 1979, but it was in 1918 that a similar eclipse had caused a total, (temporary) blackout coast-to-coast. As the moon’s shadow races across the country at about 2,700 kilometers (1,700 miles) per hour, from Oregon to South Carolina, the totality will pass through 12 states, from Oregon to South Carolina in just one-and-half hours, in a 120 kilometers (75 miles) wide path.

The shadow will touch U.S. soil at 10:16 a.m. Pacific time near Oregon’s Depoe Bay and will leave the continent around 2:49 p.m. Eastern time, with Cape Island, South Carolina, as its final stop.

Fifty-five teams from across the country are taking part in the project. Each will launch one or more balloons from within the path of totality, which is a 70-mile-wide area stretching from Oregon to South Carolina. Depending on the wind predictions for August 21, teams may have to adjust their launch locations, because livestreaming works best when the balloons (soaring above 80,000 feet) are closest to the small radio dishes that receive the video signal.

The balloons are roughly eight feet tall when they are partially filled with helium at the launch sites. As the balloons rise through the atmosphere, they will expand as the atmospheric pressure decreases with altitude. They are designed to rise to 85,000 feet, but during test flights the balloons have reached altitudes exceeding 110,000 feet (33 kilometers). “From this edge of outer space, you can really see the curvature of Earth and the blackness of space,” says Des Jardins. “Our project will be the first to show the eclipse video from the space perspective from multiple locations along the path of totality, where the moon totally blocks the sun and it gets dark.”

Balloons will be launched 80 minutes prior to the total eclipse, as it will take that much time for them to rise to the target altitude before total darkness occurs. Shortly after totality, the balloons will pop because of the low atmospheric pressure, or the balloon’s payload will be detached using a remotely controlled mechanical system, and the payload will parachute to Earth. With the payload cut down, the balloon will rise rapidly and burst. The balloons are not reusable.

“Sending live video from high-altitude balloons is tricky though,” says Des Jardins, “because each balloon can lift only 12 pounds, the payloads get really cold potentially causing problems with electronics, the systems to control the video are complicated…I could go on and on.”

And though the exact path of the eclipse can be predicted and it’s possible to have timecodes for switching cameras, “sometimes you hit a violent crosswind,” says Dr. Justin Oelgoetz of Austin Peay State University (APSU) in Clarksville, Tennessee.  “so, things can get wild for a few minutes.” That’s why NASA’s kits are also secured by pieces of foam board (used for insulation in walls) and his team uses additional duct tape on it.

Even when the camera is stable, sub-zero temperatures and ice can freeze up the equipment or result in poor image quality. “Sometimes, we get ice around the edges of the image,” says Oelgoetz.

So, Des Jardins plans to have a main web page with the U.S. map and one main feed with thumbnails of other video feeds around it.

The Equipment Payload of the Balloon

What has enabled the project is the miniaturization of computers like Raspberry Pi camera board with cable. It costs $29.95 and weighs 3.4 grams. The primary payload of a balloon consists of a tracking system, a video system and a still-image system, hanging below by a string of nylon cord about 20 feet long. A lightweight modem in the tracking system communicates with a network of satellites, allowing researchers, air-traffic controllers, and others to see the location and altitude of all of the balloons in real-time. The video system has a ring of eight small video cameras hooked to a lightweight computer and radio transmitter. The teams can select which camera to transmit in order to have the most desired view. The still-image system has a single camera hooked to a lightweight computer and radio transmitter. Some of the balloons will carry additional equipment according to experiments that are being conducted.

Each team will use ground-based antennas (it looks similar to a residential satellite TV dish) to receive the video and photo transmission from its balloon. The antennas are connected to a computer, which has an Internet connection. Specially designed software immediately “pushes” the footage from the computer to the Web.  Each team will also retrieve the payload(s) once it parachutes back to Earth.

Besides NASA, several research and education entities will look at the data. NASA officials believe the 2017 eclipse will be the most viewed live video since the 2012 landing of the Curiosity Rover on Mars.

From the eclipse and scientific observation, NASA hopes that we may increase our understanding related to the following questions:

How does our atmosphere react to the sharp shadow of the eclipse speeding across the continent at over 1,500 miles per hour? What does the exact surface of the sun look like? What happens to resilient bacteria when exposed to a Mars-like environment? How do we transmit live video with inexpensive equipment from space-like conditions and over long distances? What happens on the Internet when hundreds of millions of people are watching live streams from the same source at the same time?

The Eclipse Ballooning Project was initiated by Montana Space Grant Consortium at Montana State University in 2014 and is sponsored by the NASA Science Mission Directorate and NASA’s Space Grant program, a national network that includes over 900 affiliates. Money for the project comes from the NASA Science Mission Directorate and each team’s local space grant consortia.

SAFETY WHILE WATCHING THE ECLIPSE: Please be safe and wear solar eclipse glasses, while viewing the eclipse. These are affordable and available. Without protective eyewear, you can only safely look at the eclipse during totality, which occurs for about two minutes. Protective eyewear should be worn while viewing the eclipse during all other times and places.

For more safety information: http://eclipse2017.nasa.gov.

NASA’s Live video feed: https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/eclipse-live-stream

World View Enterprises, based in Tucson, Arizona,  is working on this passenger spaceflight project. According to company officials,  the journey will not be physically grueling as experienced by rocket flying astronauts; in fact, as you gently ascend the layers of the atmosphere, you will also be able to enjoy a drink and share your (high) status in real-time with earthlings below.

The company plans to use high-altitude helium balloons to offer a unique spaceflight experience. So far, only 558 people—mostly astronauts and a handful of aeronauts who rose in balloons to test equipment—have seen the planet from this vantage point. World View’s modernized balloon vehicle is called Voyager, and the company is in the process of fine-tuning its technology as it aims for its first passenger flight in 2018.

World View CEO Jane Poynter says, “Travelers can expect a comfortable and gentle five-hour flight situated inside of an eight-person pressurized spacecraft complete with a mini-bar, WiFi, lavatory, and massive windows for gazing at the majesty of the planet below.” Poynter  is hopeful that private citizens will engage in this transformative experience that astronauts call the “Overview Effect.” The technology used for the project will be as modern as possible in order to make the experience more enjoyable, including Tesla batteries, 3D printing, electronics and more.

What can you expect from your flight experience? When you arrive at the launch site, (perhaps after one or more security checks) your vehicle will be in its launch cradle, but first the crew will inflate the high-tech balloon with helium and rigorously check out everything for a safe lift off, float, and return! Seated in the luxurious capsule, you will gently rise for almost two hours to hover over 100,000 feet, atop 99 percent of the Earth’s atmosphere. Actually, you will be in the stratosphere, which is above the troposphere. Most of the weather and our “air” is in the troposphere.

World View promises that the balloon will not fly off into space. For your peace of mind, it may help to remind yourself  that ice does not fly out of a glass of water. Once the balloon has expanded to its safe limit and has reached its “stratospheric” ceiling, you will sail there for a couple of hours.

Depending on who or how you are–you have nothing or many things to do—gaze out of the large windows at the real breathtaking panorama, or stare at its other tiny versions on your tablet, reach out to family and friends and let them know how much you miss them and how the “effect” will make you a changed person for the better or worse, or carry out your research experiment—without being disruptive to other voyagers. It may help to know that a lot of groundbreaking research has been done and needs to be done at high altitude.

Depending on the winds and its many directions, you may experience an omni-directional flight, but launch directors will make sure that the weather is favorable enough to keep you within 0 to 150 miles of wind speeds and within a 300-mile radius of the launch site.

Now, it’s time to return. You are blessed with an extraordinary pilot–possibly an astronaut. The pilot releases some of the helium from the balloon to start its gentle descent. Remote control technology is also involved, so no need to worry. Around 50,000 feet, the balloon is detached from the ParaWing and the capsule. The ParaWing glides the capsule to a predetermined spot on Earth, and you will have a soft landing.

While you remain hypnotized by your five to six-hour flight experience, the ground crew will ensure your safe return to the launch site, and hopefully your loved ones will take you from there.

Part of the reason World View embarked on the stratospheric balloon project is because consumer surveys showed that people are afraid to fly in rockets, as they seem intimidating, dangerous, and cause physical discomfort, including motion sickness.  And for all their trouble, passengers would have to zoom past the best scenic part of the journey, from Earth to outer space, in just four minutes! In comparison, a gentle balloon flight, with no turbulence and no G-forces, is a luxurious space-tourism experience, which have already brought in dozens of high-flying enthusiasts who have reserved their seats.

The company has raised capital for three years to build the flight technology, and they got a step closer to achieving this purpose when they closed a Series B round of $15 million offered by Canaan Partners last April.

World View’s CTO Taber MacCallum notes that the high-altitude balloon will provide a new and affordable way to access near-space for the scientific, research, and commercial communities. “We recently introduced an un-crewed vehicle called a ‘Stratollite,’ which essentially operates like a geo-stationary satellite in the stratosphere, but at orders of magnitude less costly than comparable platforms,” says MacCallum.

The Stratollite is a flight system that allows for unmanned high-altitude balloons to perform a series of tasks at a low price, including the ability to circumnavigate the Earth. The balloon can stay in flight in a specific area for weeks or even months.

Some of the features that World View offers with the Stratollites include a payload capacity of up to 4,500 kg (9,920.802 lbs), a high-altitude capability of up to 46 km (28.58 mi), flights of both long and short durations, as well as rapid deployment. Stratollites could help in many ways, including disaster recovery and first response, communications, weather forecasting, and surveillance aid for U.S. troops.

Having flown 50 Stratollites, World View regularly flies commercial payloads to the edge of space for a wide variety of government, commercial, and education customers. Its clients include the Department of Defense, NASA, and companies from the meteorological and communication sectors.

It is an exciting time in lighter-than-air aviation, thanks to companies such as World View, which are combining modern technology, business, and a unique travel experience that will leave its participants in awe of this planet’s and the universe’s natural beauty.

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Solar flares are created by an explosive realignment of magnetic fields, known generally as magnetic reconnection. When magnetic fields change suddenly strong electric fields are generated that produce a large force on charged particles. In the ionized gas of the sun’s atmosphere, this process sends electrons and ions flying at speeds approaching the speed of light, causing them to release high-energy gamma rays.

“GRIPS sees this emission three times more sharply than any previous instrument,” said Albert Shih, project scientist for the GRIPS mission at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. “We’ll be able to pinpoint more precisely the times and locations that produce gamma rays.”

Antarctic summer is the ideal time for scientific balloon launches, because of the relatively calm skies and — for several weeks — 24/7 sunlight, which provides power and uninterrupted data collection for solar-focused instruments like GRIPS.

The GRIPS team began arriving at McMurdo station in Antarctica in late October 2015. Throughout November, December and early January, the team assembled and tested GRIPS as they waited for the right conditions to launch their balloon. The GRIPS team hopes their balloon will fly for anywhere from 14 to 55 days, carried around the continent by a circular wind pattern that develops over Antarctica each summer.

Scientific balloons are a low-cost way to access Earth’s upper atmosphere up to the edge of space, allowing scientists to make measurements that are impossible from the ground.

GRIPS is led by the University of California at Berkeley by Principal Investigator Pascal Saint-Hilaire. Orbital ATK provides program management, mission planning, engineering services and field operations for NASA’s scientific balloon program. The program is executed from NASA’s Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility in Palestine, Texas. The Columbia team has launched more than 1,700 scientific balloons in over 35 years of operation.

Adapted in part by Sitara Maruf
Source: NASA, 19 January 2016; Editor: Rob Garner