
Consider the elements that have defined your most indulgent travel experiences: the exclusivity of a private tour of the Vatican; the sweeping grandeur of a helicopter flight over Victoria Falls; the intimacy and indulgence of a private kasbah in the High Atlas. And, naturally, the ensuing bragging rights over cocktails, however, not a single view from the most celebrated places on the earth can compete with a view of Earth itself, from more than 100,000 feet into the atmosphere, on a peaceful sailing-like journey to the edge of space. Astronauts have marveled about this rare vantage point, and the emotional impact of seeing the gentle curve of our planet, a world without the boundaries assigned by mankind, and the infinity of space beyond.
World View, incubated by the company behind StratEx (Stratospheric Exploration) brings to you the opportunity of a lifetime with the same ease as traveling via commercial airline: Voyagers board a fully pressurized space capsule that accommodates six passengers and two crew members for a gentle ascent to 20 miles above the earth. Luxuriously styled and engineered, the capsule is transported by a ParaWing and a high-altitude balloon, which expands gradually until voyagers reach their peak altitude atop 99 percent of Earth’s atmosphere. The rocket-like, high-G thrust into space that, on other early-adopting space tourism experiences requires intensive preparation, is replaced with a seemingly effortless cruise toward the world’s most spectacular panorama. After a one to two-hour float during which you can grasp at infinity through dual-pane viewports that offer 360-degree vistas (and share the experience in real-time with loved ones thanks to in-flight Internet access), the ParaWing takes over for a gentle glide back down to the earth below.
Individuals who wish to be a pioneer in this exciting new era of space exploration can reserve their World View flight with a $5,000 deposit; the remaining $70,000 is due six months prior to their flight.