Saudi Arabia is seeing innovation taking place at lightning-fast speed. And now, soon the people here might get to be part of near-space tourism as well! This is because the kingdom will be the next launch site for near space tourism company, Halo Space. Yes, the test flight takes off in June this year.
Saudi Arabia To Be Next Launch Site For Halo Space
Halo Space is ready for the test flight of its second real-size prototype capsule 32 km above the earth’s surface. And, the sixth test flight will be happening from the kingdom in June. With headquarters in Madrid, this company specialises in stratospheric commercial flights. However, the permission for this has been given on conditional approval from the Communications, Space and Technology Commission, which is the Saudi Arabian authority responsible for space regulation.
This Will Be The 6th Test Flight
According to a report by the Arabian Business, it was revealed that the mission of this company is to make space travel more safe and accessible. Not to mention, the plans are to start offering commercial flights by 2026. Starting at $164,000, this is going to be a fraction of the price of the orbital and suborbital flight offerings.
As it happens, the company aims to bring 10,000 humans to space to experience the overview effect. This means they will get to experience the blue halo around the curvature of the earth’s surface.
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The Flight Time Will Be 4 To 6 Hours
Coming to the working of the prototype, this will be through a helium-powered balloon with the ascent being gradual. So, this means anyone can board this flight without any special training. With a flight time of about 4 to 6 hours, this will include 1 to 2 hours at the maximum altitude of 35 km. This will allow the viewers in the deck to take in the 360° view of the Earth with much larger windows than those in planes and rockets.
The plan is to work with four bases year-round, which includes those in the US, Australia, Saudi Arabia, and Spain. So, if this becomes true, soon people in the kingdom will get the option to take in the beauty of the Earth from above.
Cover Image Courtesy: halospaceflight.com
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