Space tourism is picking up, and the companies launching civilians into space – for a still-sky-high price tag – are talking big about how it will change the future of our planet for the better. Shilling hundreds of thousands of dollars to fly to the edge of space and come back will save Earth, they’re saying.
It could actually be done for a fraction of the money. The latest startup to join the space race is a company called World View, which aims to offer space balloon rides halfway to the edge of space (100,000 feet / 30 km). World View is singing the same tune about how this kind of experience can teach tourists, once back on Earth, about the planet’s fragility and, more importantly, to determine them to act towards conserving it.
At the end of March, World View hired Entourage actor Adrian Grenier as celebrity spokesperson, naming him Chief Earth Advocate. The title might seem pompous at first, but Grenier says it’s not an empty one: speaking with The Robb Report, he explains exactly what his job description will be and how the experience is meant to shape the future. Grenier has discussed his role with World View before (see the video below), but this time, he gets into specifics.
For instance, one of his many responsibilities will be to welcome tourists back on Earth and then to connect them to sustainability-focused organizations, and hopefully turn their newly-discovered appreciation of Earth into positive action. Strike the iron while it’s hot and all that.
As a passionate environmentalist, Grenier will use the same connections to help World View work its way towards a proposed carbon-neutral goal. All Strato-Balloons launched are single-use, so Grenier will assist the company in upcycling and repurposing whatever they can from them. The actor will also document his work with the company and will use the footage to further spread awareness on environmental issues.
World View plans to launch Strato-Balloons with Explorer pods as early as 2024. Each pod carries a total of eight people, including two crew members, and offers a galley and full bar, cameras and telescopes, and all the comfort of a first-class airplane cabin. A ticket costs $50,000, but if all of the above is accurate, think of it as an investment to “push humanity forward.”
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
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