Victoria Secures $37 Million Deal with US Stratospheric Balloon Company to Introduce Space Tourism
Worldview, a provider of high-altitude stratospheric ballooning technology, is expanding its operations to the Indo-Pacific region in Melbourne, creating 200 engineering jobs.
Visitors will have the opportunity to take a near-space flight to the Great Barrier Reef thanks to Victoria’s investment in a U.S. satellite imagery and space tourism company through the Breakthrough Victoria innovation fund. However, not everyone sees the benefits of this venture.
The decision to invest $37 million (US$25 million) in the Arizona-based company World View, announced on May 15 by Victorian Minister for Economic Growth Tim Pallas, marks the largest expenditure by the fund to date.
“World View’s advanced technology and the creation of future jobs, particularly in highly skilled fields like engineering, data science, and material science, will open up great opportunities for Victoria and Australia,” Pallas stated.
With a focus on increasing access to and utilizing the stratosphere for scientific, commercial, economic, and military purposes, World View is positioning itself to establish its Indo-Pacific headquarters in Melbourne, potentially generating hundreds of jobs in various areas.
World View CEO Ryan Hartman expressed his enthusiasm for Melbourne as the location for their operations, citing the abundance of skilled talent, cutting-edge technology, strategic partnerships, and significant geographic advantages in the region.
World View’s stratospheric balloons offer on-demand high-resolution sensing, weather monitoring, and communication services.
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Their innovative approach is expected to have a mutually beneficial impact, according to Breakthrough Victoria CEO Grant Dooley.
Flights To The Edge Of Space
A promotional video on their website showcases passengers ascending 100,000 feet into the air in a balloon-assisted capsule.
The journey, lasting five to eight hours, begins with an early morning liftoff, reaching a stratospheric orbit point on the edge of space where the capsule lingers for two to four hours before a gentle 90-minute descent via a pilot-steered parafoil.
Although World View is currently awaiting government approval to conduct flights, bookings are open for $75,000 flights over the Great Barrier Reef.
The company also plans to offer a similar experience hovering over the Grand Canyon, with operations set to commence in 2026.
Other global launch locations include opportunities to view the Amazon Rainforest in Brazil, the Aurora Borealis in Norway, the Pyramids of Giza, the Serengeti, and Mongolia’s Great Wall of China.
Who are Worldview?
World View Enterprises Inc. is a pioneering company in the realm of high-altitude stratospheric ballooning technology.
Established in 2013 and headquartered in Tucson, Arizona, the company has been at the forefront of developing innovative solutions for various applications, such as remote sensing, communications, and research.
One of their key technologies is the “Stratollite,” a high-altitude balloon system capable of long-duration flights in the stratosphere above commercial air traffic and weather, providing weather pattern monitoring and internet connectivity to remote areas.
In 2017, World View partnered with Raven Aerostar, a designer and manufacturer of high-altitude balloons, to further advance the technology.
The company has also collaborated with NASA on multiple projects, including the development of a system for monitoring hurricanes from the stratosphere.
