World View Enterprises looks to give you exactly what its name suggests by offering a balloon ride to the edge of space.

Prior to this, the only way people could go to space -- besides being an astronaut -- was by riding Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic space plane for US$200,000 a seat or on the space planes of other space plane companies.

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The balloon ride is more modest. It's being hailed as the next big tourist attraction; bringing people to space without the need for tough astronaut training.

The balloon ride costs US$75,000 per seat or less than half the proposed cost of a space plane trip.

World View will use a specially made balloon to launch into sub-orbital flight. The balloon will ascend to 100,000 feet, almost three times further than a commercial aircraft's cruise altitude.

Once balloon reaches space, it will glide back down to the Earth using a parafoil. World View said this form of re-entry is a gentler experience compared to the painful 3G forces experienced during a space capsule re-entry.

In fact, the balloon's re-entry environment is so relaxed its passengers even have access to a fully stocked bar onboard.

Last June, World View successfully tested their balloon, albeit a small scale model that was 10 percent of its real size. The scale model rose to 120,000 feet and returned to 50,000 feet to begin gliding back down using the parafoil.

World View is aiming to make the balloon flight prices more "Disney," or at a level where it's affordable for most people, said President and CEO Jane Poynter.

Poynter said her space exploring venture came from hearing about astronauts' experience. She recalls hearing about how astronauts were so excited at the beginning their space missions.

When they reach space, astronauts feel awestruck when they look back and see the Earth.

"I want to give it back to people," Poynter said.

TagsWorld View Enterprises, Virgin Galactic, Richard Branson, Jane Poynter