On a budget?
If you’re really a cheapskate, consider purchasing a balloon ride to the “edge” of space. And by edge we mean a third of the way there. Balloons can’t actually go into space (duh), otherwise our ancestors would’ve floated past the magnetosphere during the Napoleonic era. But balloons can go very, very high, possibly to heights reaching 20 miles (30 km) above sea level. From way up there, the blackness of space is clearly visible, as is the curvature of Earth.
Two startups, Space Perspective and World View, are hoping to send paying customers on balloon rides to the stratosphere, and for a fraction of the cost of actually going to space. Space Perspective is charging $125,000 for the six-hour trip, and it plans to launch its first ride in 2024, while World View plans to charge $50,000 for a similar offering. Space Perspective recently unveiled the interior design of its disingenuously named Spacecraft Neptune, revealing a fully stocked bar, bucket seats, and customized mood lighting.
