Out Of This World: Civilians Can Travel To Space From 2024

Ground Control to Major Tom...

Out Of This World: Civilians Can Travel To Space From 2024

Image Credit: World View

Want to go to space at least once in your life? This firm is planning to offer space travel to the public for relatively affordable prices. Plus, the flights commence in just two years…


In 1961, the first human – Soviet cosmonaut, Yuri Gagarin – ventured to space. In the sixty years since then, people everywhere have dreamed of travelling to space themselves. And now, we are closer than ever to that reality.

Elon Musk, Richard Branson and Jeff Bezos with their respective aerospace companies, SpaceX, Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin, are in the process of making space tourism accessible… Or, at least, having fun flexing in zero gravity.

But currently, the tickets are rather pricey; according to USA Today, a Virgin Galatic ticket for a 90-minute return flight to space costs US$450,000.

World View is offering anyone (with $50,000) the chance to go to space, thanks to a stratospheric balloon. Image Credit: World View

However, there’s a cheaper option available for those wanting to travel to space in the near future. World View is now offering commercial flights, which are slated to take off in 2024, to the “edge of space” for $50,000 per seat.

The flights will range from 6-12 hours in terms of total duration. It’ll take 2 hours to ascend and then passengers will be able to take in the incredible view of Earth from space while the aircraft – which is a stratospheric balloon – floats at an altitude of roughly 100,000 feet for 3-4 hours before it then returns to Earth.

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Looks comfier than an economy seat… Image Credit: World View

After the launch, passengers will be able to stand and move around the craft, which features a pressurised, climate-controlled cabin, oversized windows for 360-degree viewing and ergonomic fully reclining seats as well as custom dining options and full beverage service. We wonder how good the peanuts are in space…

World View flights will depart from state-of-the-art spaceports located in various iconic places. In 2024, passengers can fly to space from either the Grand Canyon in the US or the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.

Then from 2025 onwards, passengers can also choose to depart from Serengeti in Kenya, Norway’s Aurora Borealis, Amazonia in Brazil, Egypt’s Giza Pyramids, or the Great Wall of China in Mongolia.

One of the many incredible views you’ll see on your World View flight. Image Credit: World View

If you’re keen to tick ‘going to space’ off your bucket list, World View may be the cheapest option for quite some time. Especially considering that there are financing options available and you can reserve a ticket with a deposit of just US$500.

Plus, how cool would it be to listen to David Bowie’s Space Oddity or say Buzz Lightyear‘s catchphrase – “to infinity and beyond” – while in space?!

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