Well, we say ‘anybody’ – but by that we mean anybody who has R750,000 to spare on a trip to space. Yup, a small Arizona-based business, the Paragon Space Development Corporation, has used existing technology to create a helium balloon that will take passengers to the edge of space.

Using technology similar to that of Red Bull’s Stratos project – which launched a massive helium balloon off of which Felix Baumgartner could jump – the Paragon Space Development Corporation was able to engineer a balloon capable of taking an eight-passenger gondola into the upper reaches of our atmosphere.

Well, it’s not so much a “gondola” as it is a space capsule, which will be fully pressurized to provide a breathable atmosphere as the vessel makes its one and a half to two hours ascent into the sky. Once there, passengers will be able to see the curvature of the earth, the blueness of the atmosphere, and the blackness of space.

But how do you come back? Well, there’s a parachute thingy that attaches to the… Ag, just look at the pics.

[Source : Design Taxi]