Space tourism company World View has unveiled its designs for a capsule that will fly passengers to “the edge of space” where they will “witness the curvature of Earth” from 2024.
World View is already taking bookings for its commercial spaceflights, which are scheduled to begin in 2024. The space capsule was designed by PriestmanGoode, and tickets will cost $50,000 per seat.
“We don’t want it to feel like you’re getting into something more like an astronaut would get into,” Daniel MacInnes, design director at PriestmanGoode, told Dezeen.
“We were asked to look at the customer experience – how do you make this really accessible for multiple passengers, and how do you make it kind of feel like it’s a product that people want to kind of experience?”
Space tourism
The capsules will be lifted by a zero-pressure stratospheric balloon, rising nearly 23 miles above Earth for a space tourism experience that will last between six and eight hours.
“Unveiling our space capsule prototype is a pivotal moment for the company as we continue to prepare for our first launch from the Grand Canyon in just two short years,” said Ryan Hartman, president and CEO of World View.
“We are thrilled to partner with leaders in aerospace design and engineering to bring our vision to life and ensure spaceflight participants enjoy a truly transformative experience.”
Flights are scheduled to lift off from landmarks including the Grand Canyon and Great Barrier Reef. Passengers will enjoy a gourmet meal and drinks during the flight.
“Participants will fully experience and immerse themselves in the beauty, fragility, history and importance of the areas surrounding each location and of the Earth itself,” said World View.
Fly passengers to “the edge of space”
The exterior of the space capsule is shaped like a faceted hexagon and features a pearlescent white finish. Large oval windows will offer “impressive views of the Earth’s curvature and its natural wonders”.
“Along the journey, passengers will take in the curvature of the Earth, thin blue line of the atmosphere, vast darkness of space and constellations,” World View said.
China has also revealed plans to open the country’s Tiangong space station to tourists within 10 years, competing with space tourism companies such as Blue Origin, Virgin Galactic and SpaceX.
Meanwhile, Orbital Assembly Corporation (OAC) is making progress on the world’s first space hotel, Voyager Station, which is expected to debut in 2027.
Images: World View
