News on February 22ndJapanese start-up Iwaya Giken plans to use inflatable balloons carrying space capsules to send ordinary passengers into space to start space tourism.

Iwaya Giken said it had developed an airtight two-seater cabin and a balloon capable of rising to an altitude of 25 kilometers above the ground. The inflatable balloon with the capsule is expected to reduce the price of space travel and make it possible for ordinary passengers to experience ldquo; space tourism & rdquo;.

Although balloons carried by passengers can only rise to the middle of the stratosphere and will not reach outer space, they can fly higher than jetliners and offer a view of outer space.

It is understood thatThe initial cost per customer for a single flight is about 24 million yen (about 121980 yuan).The head of Iwaya Giken said his goal is to eventually reduce it to a few million yen.

Iwaya Giken's balloon, which is powered by helium and can carry a pilot and a passenger, is scheduled to take off from Hokkaido, Japan, and take two hours to rise to an altitude of 25 kilometers, stay there for an hour, and then drop to the ground in an hour.

The first five passengers will be announced in October and the first flight will be made in about a week if the weather is good, Iwaya Giken said.