General News

Balloon Trips for ‘Space Sightseeing’ to Be Launched in April at Earliest; Space Tourists Can Fly to Stratosphere

Courtesy of Iwaya Inc.
A balloon that reached the stratosphere in a test flight

The Yomiuri Shimbun

12:45 JST, January 18, 2025

Iwaya Inc., a Hokkaido-based startup, announced that it will begin offering balloon trips to the stratosphere for a view of near space sometime between April and June.

The trip will involve a polyethylene balloon filled with gas flying to the stratosphere, more than 20 kilometers above ground, and those aboard will be able to see near space from a sphere-shaped air-tight cabin attached to the balloon. The cabin is 1.7 meters in diameter and can accommodate up to two people.

The company succeeded in reaching the target altitude during a test flight.

Currently, the trip will cost 24 million yen, but the company aims to reduce the price significantly in the future to potentially a few million yen.