China to offer trip to 40-km-high edge of space  

A mimetic diagram of trip to the edge of space. (Photo/the Beijing Times)

(ECNS) – China plans to offer a trip to the edge of space for 500,000 yuan ($8,150) per ticket, the Beijing Times reported.

Supported by a number of domestic space research institutions, the trip is designed to take travelers 40 kilometers up in a high altitude balloon.

During the five-hour trip seated in a capsule lifted by the balloon, travelers can see amazing views, including the curvature of Earth, sunrise and sundown, and lunar craters.

Passengers will also find out the landing points of the Chang'e and Apollo probes, and glimpse a coronal mass ejection, which doesn't occur frequently.

In addition to pressurized suits, the flight will offer lifesaving equipment such as parachutes. "Passengers can use the parachutes for emergencies, or just to experience skydiving," said the program organizer.

The cost includes fees for entry, training and insurance. "Quite a number of people have shown interest in the trip," the organizer added. But travelers must pass training and health examinations before being lifted to the edge of space.

The travel schedule has not been set. The program organizer said that will come after flight testing is finished in July next year.