What do you get when you take a spaceflight balloon into space? Perhaps it's this gorgeous video of what Earth's sunrise looks like from there.
World View, a commercial balloon spaceflight company, recently released this footage from one of their flights, hoping to inspire future passengers aboard their service. The video shows what the Earth's sunrise looks like from a unique perspective, in space as the sun rises over Earth's shape and rays of light reflect off cloud layers.
"So many astronauts have gone to space to see infinity, but when they turn around and see Earth they fall in love with it," says World View CEO Jane Poynter. "It shifts the way they think about things and we want to give that experience to as many people as possible."
World View promises the same views for those who choose to travel with them on future voyages into space. Plans for their balloons include all the extras, too, including Wi-Fi and an onboard bar, along with a 360-degree view from 100,000 feet above the planet.
Of course, tickets for such a trip aren't cheap. But for those with an extra $75,000 to spare, the two-hour experience is probably worth the price.
World View isn't just about sending rich people to space, though. The company also offers its balloons for scientific research, as well as for other uses. Its first test flight carried its Tycho vehicle, which is designed for communications, first response and micro-satellite delivery missions.
"In addition to passenger flights, World View is also opening the stratosphere to research, education, and commercial opportunities," the company writes in a press release. "This video was captured on such a flight, in collaboration with Moon Express and Tencent, the latter of which is a World View investor."
World View successfully completed its first test of its space balloon earlier this year in June. An unmanned smaller version of the balloon made it 20 miles above Earth, breaking the world record for the highest parafoil flight ever.
World View hopes that it's ready for passenger flights by 2016, with 50 flights planned for its first year in operation.
[Photo Credit: World View]
