Sir Richard Branson to pilot first crewed flight of $125,000-a-trip space balloon with ‘cocktail service and Wi-Fi’

SIR Richard Branson volition co-pilot the archetypal crewed formation of Space Perspectives' stratospheric balloon flight.

A pressurized capsule powered by hydrogen volition alert 8 passengers to 20 miles supra Earth – with the business tycoon astatine the helm.

Space Perspective, the institution down the attempt, successfully completed an uncrewed formation successful September.

And it present promises to interval a capsule "at levels supra the ambiance ne'er earlier achieved successful a commercialized balloon flight".

Sir Richard antecedently broke 2 ballooning world records by crossing the Atlantic and Pacific oceans successful 1987 and 1991.

And present he's acceptable to copilot a world-first balloon travel to space.

"Some of the astir magnificent experiences of my beingness person happened connected ballooning expeditions and I’m excited to enactment Space Perspective successful its journey," Sir Richard said.

"I'm passionate astir escapade and helping chap entrepreneurs scope their concern dreams.

"I look guardant to dusting disconnected my aged ballooning licence up of immoderate magnificent trial flights."

Sir Richard is an capitalist successful the balloon institution that has raised $100 cardinal (£77 million) successful funding.

Its hydrogen capsule is designed to soar mildly into abstraction – earlier splashing down successful the ocean.

The travel is expected to instrumentality astir six hours "to the highest altitude of immoderate commercialized balloon formation successful the world".

It doesn't usage immoderate rockets, there's nary weightlessness, and Space Perspectives adjacent promises nary dense g-forces oregon grooming required.

Instead, the institution says it's "as casual arsenic an airplane flight".

Guests volition "enjoy a world-class repast and cocktail service", and there's adjacent Wi-Fi connected board.

But the main attraction is the view, with a stunning look astatine Earth "through the largest windows ever to adorn a pressurised capsule".

There's besides a "proper restroom" connected committee that's been dubbed the Space Spa.

Joining Sir Richard connected committee volition beryllium the 2 founders of Space Perspectives: Taber MacCallum and Jane Poynter.

"We’re delighted by Richard’s determination to articulation Jane and I arsenic co-pilot connected the archetypal crewed flight, leveraging his heavy acquisition successful ballooning to guarantee a palmy maiden voyage," said Taber MacCallum, the laminitis of Space Perspective.

"Richard's pioneering efforts successful the ballooning manufacture were a cardinal inspiration for america erstwhile we founded Space Perspective."

Taber and Jane met arsenic unit members successful Biosphere 2, and besides led the squad that flew Google exec Alan Eustace to a record-breaking tallness of 136,000 feet with a abstraction balloon.

"We are present connected a ngo to springiness Explorers breathtaking views of the Earth against a achromatic sky," added Jane Poynter, laminitis of Space Perspective.

"And bash truthful mildly successful a mode that lone balloons enable."

There's nary acceptable day for Sir Richard's archetypal flight.

But if you privation to caput up to abstraction yourself, you'll person to wage $125,000 for a "standard reservation" connected committee the capsule.