Space travel holidays: The 'bloon' will offer a high-rise view of the planet

Add to My Stories Share For years, the symbol of ultimate luxury and indulgence when it comes to air travel has been the private jet your own intimate high-altitude space where you can be pampered as you soar across the planet at heady speed (with a price tag to match, of course).But within the next two years, the last word in costly airborne adventure may be a throwback to a rather more historic, stately era of travel the balloon.

High rise: The 'bloon' will be able to soar to a staggering 22 miles above the earth's surfaceAlbeit a balloon rather unlike any that has come before.The brainchild of Spanish entrepreneur Jose Lopez-Urdiales, the bloon is a state-of-the-art flying device that can climb to the unprecedented height of 22 miles (36 kilometres) allowing passengers to view the curvature of the earth, watch the dawn creep gradually across the planet, and even glimpse the empty blackness of space directly above.

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'Going up into the earths stratosphere in a balloon is a lot cheaper than doing it by rocket,' Lopez-Urdiales explains.'You get to spend much more time high above and there is no engine noise.'

Sky scraping: Passengers will be able to see the curvature of the earth from the 'bloon'The bloons first manned flight is pencilled in for 2013 with the 129-meter diameter craft able to accommodate four passengers and two pilots. Suitably pressurised so that guests are comfortable even at this extreme height three times higher than the standard cruising altitude of an airplane it can float above the earth for around three hours, with the journeys up and down last! ing an h our each way.

Head for heights: The bloon is the brainchild of Jose Lopez-UrdialesThe only catch for would-be adventurers is the price, a not inconsiderable 90,000 per person per trip though the bloons creator is quick to defend the cost.'Its not about the prestige, its the view from up high that people want to see,' Lopez-Urdiales continues. 'There will be many people who will want to go on the trip.''It will be an unforgettable experience people will be able to see stars during the day, and the sun will look completely different.'People will enjoy it because being that high reminds them they come from a planet, and are part of something much bigger.'It brings up a lot of feelings in people that we are all connected. We believe thats beneficial for the human experience.'Along with 90,000, passengers will also of course need a head for heights. Once the three-hour celestial cruise is over, the bloon descends via a slowly venting sail which detaches from the craft once it reaches a certain altitude. The bloon then drops the rest of the way to solid ground by deploying a parachute.

Do look down: The bloon will carry passengers on a three-hour high-altitude cruise Details of the first flight are still to be confirmed including which country the bloon will take off from but Spain is seen as a likely candidate due to its reliable weather.