World View has successfully launched the first 'stratollite' from its Tucson, Arizona headquarters in a move that could transform the way we launch satellites in to space.
The high-altitude balloon craft, which was launched into the stratosphere from the startup's Arizona base, could eventually be used for scientific research, weather monitoring and communications, for a fraction of the cost of a traditional satellite.
The idea is that the remote-controlled, uncrewed inflatable craft can deliver satellite-like capabilities, without the pricey rocket launch required to put the hardware into orbit.
The successful stratollite launch also paves the way for lower-cost space tourism. World View is developing a gondola-like craft, dubbed Voyager, which could eventually offer sightseeing trips for two at 100,000 feet above Earth.
In June, the company made headlines when it completed its first long-duration stratollite launch, flying a KFC Zinger chicken sandwich to the edge of space. The gimmicky payload was the result of a partnership with the fast food chain for the four-day mission.
"The Stratollite is spearheading a new market for data collection of our planet, the environment and human activity from a perch at the very edge of space," said Jane Poynter, World View founder and CEO before the launch in June.
This week's launch is the first from the company's 142,000-square-foot Arizona-based facility, which opened in February.
World View is already flying payloads to the edge of space for government and private clients and is just one of a number of firms looking to launch craft to the outer limits of Earth's atmosphere.
SolarStratos aims to fly a two-seater solar-powered aircraft to the edge of space to show that renewable fuel can not only match fossil fuels but can surpass it. The eco-friendly solar plane, which runs on an experimental lithium-ion battery, will also be used to take scientific measurements at 25,000m above Earth.
Last year, Chinese startup Space Vision announced that it was developing a space tourist system to take intrepid explorers into the stratosphere in a balloon then parachute back down to Earth, for a fee of $77,000 (£58,000).
And in March 2017, private aerospace firm Zero2Infinity successfully test-launched its two-stage Bloostar craft which combines a balloon with a rocket to launch into space. The idea is that the balloon takes the craft to the stratosphere, where the rocket kicks in to put the payload into orbit, slashing the costs of a traditional rocket launch. The firm is also developing a stratospheric space tourism balloon dubbed Bloon.
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
