A “budget” space tourism company takes you to space in a balloon – with an open bar

If you can’t afford £350,000 for space travel with Virgin Galactic, you’re in luck: Space Travel Startup perspective from space plans to offer cheaper trips to the far reaches of the stratosphere in a gigantic balloon.

For the low price of £96,000 you can enjoy views of the curvature of the Earth from 20 miles high.

The “Space Lounge” is inside a large balloon that floats tourists to a high point above the Earth. It has free Wi-Fi and a drinks bar.

Plus, guests won’t have to undergo any tricky training unlike Elon Musk’s SpaceX trips.

This is because no rockets are needed for launches. Instead, the balloon glides smoothly upwards at 12 miles per hour while promising zero carbon emissions.

The only catch is that you won’t be able to experience weightlessness on the six-hour journey, which ends with a gentle splash in the ocean.

Space Perspective co-founder Jayne Poynter told AFP: “We wanted to find a way that really changes the way people think about spaceflight and makes it much more approachable and accessible.”

The company says it plans to offer 25 flights in its first year, with all available seats now full.

While the trip may not be as exciting as a SpaceX or Blue Origin flight, it should be a more accessible option for people looking to get up close to the stars.

It also marks an increase in competition in the race for private space, which has until now been dominated by the companies of Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos.