Tokyo, 23 February 2023 (GNP): A Japanese startup named ‘Iwaya Giken‘ announced plans Tuesday to launch commercial space viewing balloon flights that it hopes will bring an otherwise astronomically expensive experience down to Earth.
Company CEO Keisuke Iwaya, said passengers do not need to be billionaires, go through intense training or have the language skills needed to fly in a rocket.
Also Read: PM Shehbaz calls to President of Kenya
“It’s safe, economical and gentle for people. The idea is to make space tourism for everyone. I want to democratize space.”
The company, Iwaya Giken, based in Sapporo in northern Japan, has been working on the project since 2012 and says it has developed an airtight two-seat cabin and a balloon capable of rising up to an altitude of 25 kilometers (15 miles), where the curve of the Earth can be clearly viewed.
While passengers won’t be in outer space — the balloon only goes up to roughly the middle of the stratosphere — they’ll be higher than a jet plane flies and have an unobstructed view of outer space.
