World View, a company based in Arizona that brings travelers to the edge of space, has just paved the way closer to balloon space travel. Earlier this year, the team broke a record for the world’s highest parafoil -- a large, wing-like parachute -- flight. Although there were a few factors that contributed to the impressive nature of this balloon space travel endeavor, the most significant involved the downward flight of the parafoil.
Wired writes, "The company wants to load its passengers into a flight capsule, attach that to a massive (as in roughly-the-size-of-a-football-stadium massive) polyethylene balloon filled with gas, and float them up to the destination altitude." Yet this method requires a lot of safety checks. If it meets all requirements, balloon space travel will allow for a more leisurely experience, little to no special training and less cost.
Why This Trend Is Growing
- Balloon Space Travel
- World View's record-breaking flight paves the way for balloon space travel as a new form of leisurely, low-cost travel.
- Parafoil Parachutes
- World View's use of parafoil parachutes is a trend for safer and more efficient air travel.
- Polyethylene Balloons
- The use of massive polyethylene balloons in balloon space travel is an innovative trend that could revolutionize air travel.
Industries Being Reshaped
- Tourism and Travel
- Balloon space travel has the potential to be a disruptive innovation opportunity for the tourism and travel industry.
- Airline and Aviation
- Parafoil parachutes and polyethylene balloons could revolutionize the airline and aviation industry by providing safer and more cost-effective travel options.
- Space Exploration
- World View's advancements in balloon space travel have the potential to disrupt the space exploration industry by opening up new possibilities for space tourism.
