Another high altitude balloon company enters the space tourism market
Capitalism in space: Another high altitude balloon company, this time from Spain, is now vying for the space tourism market.
EOS-X Space, a Spanish startup, wants to take 10,000 people to the frontier of space within the next 10 years. With EOS-X Space, the journeys won’t be in rockets or ultrasonic planes. They’ll instead take place in a pressurized capsule propelled by a balloon that will rise to an altitude of up to 40 kilometers, or nearly 25 miles.
This means space tourists won’t have to wear a suit for the duration of the trip, nor will they have to do any physical preparation. Depending on the weather, each trip is set to last four or five hours.
They are targeting the same market as the American company Space Perspectives, which hopes to begin flying tourists on its stratospheric balloon, dubbed Neptune, by ’24.
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Capitalism in space: Another high altitude balloon company, this time from Spain, is now vying for the space tourism market.
EOS-X Space, a Spanish startup, wants to take 10,000 people to the frontier of space within the next 10 years. With EOS-X Space, the journeys won’t be in rockets or ultrasonic planes. They’ll instead take place in a pressurized capsule propelled by a balloon that will rise to an altitude of up to 40 kilometers, or nearly 25 miles.
This means space tourists won’t have to wear a suit for the duration of the trip, nor will they have to do any physical preparation. Depending on the weather, each trip is set to last four or five hours.
They are targeting the same market as the American company Space Perspectives, which hopes to begin flying tourists on its stratospheric balloon, dubbed Neptune, by ’24.
The support of my readers through the years has given me the freedom and ability to analyze objectively the ongoing renaissance in space, as well as the cultural changes -- for good or ill -- that are happening across America. Four years ago, just before the 2020 election I wrote that Joe Biden's mental health was suspect. Only in this year has the propaganda mainstream media decided to recognize that basic fact.
Fourteen years ago I wrote that SLS and Orion were a bad ideas, a waste of money, would be years behind schedule, and better replaced by commercial private enterprise. Even today NASA and Congress refuse to recognize this reality.
In 2020 when the world panicked over COVID I wrote that the panic was unnecessary, that the virus was apparently simply a variation of the flu, that masks were not simply pointless but if worn incorrectly were a health threat, that the lockdowns were a disaster and did nothing to stop the spread of COVID. Only in the past year have some of our so-called experts in the health field have begun to recognize these facts.
Your help allows me to do this kind of intelligent analysis. I take no advertising or sponsors, so my reporting isn't influenced by donations by established space or drug companies. Instead, I rely entirely on donations and subscriptions from my readers, which gives me the freedom to write what I think, unencumbered by outside influences.
Please consider supporting my work here at Behind the Black.
You can support me either by giving a one-time contribution or a regular subscription. There are five ways of doing so:
1. Zelle: This is the only internet method that charges no fees. All you have to do is use the Zelle link at your internet bank and give my name and email address (zimmerman at nasw dot org). What you donate is what I get.
2. Patreon: Go to my website there and pick one of five monthly subscription amounts, or by making a one-time donation.
3. A Paypal Donation:
5. Donate by check, payable to Robert Zimmerman and mailed to
Behind The Black
c/o Robert Zimmerman
P.O.Box 1262
Cortaro, AZ 85652
You can also support me by buying one of my books, as noted in the boxes interspersed throughout the webpage or shown in the menu above. And if you buy the books through the ebookit links, I get a larger cut and I get it sooner.
I wonder how much it’ll cost?
I am familiar with the terms supersonic (Mach 1+), and hypersonic (Mach 5+); does anyone know the parameters for ‘ultrasonic’?
Possibly an artifact of the general numbskullery that is normative in journalism these days. It’s also very possible that this is a translation error, given that the source of the article is the Spanish edition of Business Insider.
If you look a bit further into this project I believe it is sponsored by a billionaire nail and beauty solon chain owner who will be providing “Ultrasonic” foot baths and pedicures as you “Sail to the edges of space”, for no extra charge. Its a great promotion tie in. You have not lived until you have had an ultrasonic pedi.
I think the ticket price is around $150 to 200 K. (Not bad, with the free ultrasonic pedicure that is.)
Q: What if the balloon envelope fails? Are there any provisions for such an event?
The first flights I believe are scheduled for April 1, 2024.
Cotour
Q: What if the balloon envelope fails? Are there any provisions for such an event?
I was thinking the same thing.
I am sure they will have parachutes big enough for the craft but the free fall until the chute opens will be like a full minute or even two from max altitude.
Could you imagine Oprah or a Kardashian making that drop? They would fill their pants before the chute opened.
One drop like that and the whole new industry would change. I would offer extreme HAL jumps after that.