Space Perspective, a Florida start-up, plans to use the Pacific Spaceport Complex in Kodiak, Alaska, as the launching ground for trips in its Spaceship Neptune balloon craft.

The first uncrewed test flight is scheduled for early 2021 and will include a suite of research payloads.

The firm claims it is a way of reaching near-space with “near-zero emissions” and could eventually be deployed for routine operations around the world.

Flown by a pilot, Neptune could ferry up to eight passengers on a six-hour journey to the edge of space and back.

It will be able to carry people and research payloads on a two-hour gentle ascent above 99 per cent of the Earth’s atmosphere to 100,000 feet, where it cruises above the Earth for up to two hours.

It then makes a two-hour descent under the balloon and splashes down, where a ship will retrieve the passengers, capsule and balloon. Each passenger may have to pay an estimated $125,000 (£100,000) for the six-hour journey.

Mark Lester, CEO of Alaska Aerospace, said the high-altitude rides will be available from Kodiak in a few years and will support Alaska tourism.

“You will have people from around the world who want to come to Alaska and see the northern lights from the edge of space,” he added.

The firm also believes its vessel will be especially useful in carrying out research related to atmospheric science that could shed light on Earth’s climate and air systems, astro- and solar-physics to improve our understanding of the universe as well as astrobiology.

The balloon design is derived from technology Nasa has used for decades to fly large research telescopes, Space Perspective said.

Space Perspective, a Florida start-up, plans to use the Pacific Spaceport Complex in Kodiak, Alaska, as the launching ground for trips in its Spaceship Neptune balloon craft.

The first uncrewed test flight is scheduled for early 2021 and will include a suite of research payloads.

The firm claims it is a way of reaching near-space with “near-zero emissions” and could eventually be deployed for routine operations around the world.

Flown by a pilot, Neptune could ferry up to eight passengers on a six-hour journey to the edge of space and back.

It will be able to carry people and research payloads on a two-hour gentle ascent above 99 per cent of the Earth’s atmosphere to 100,000 feet, where it cruises above the Earth for up to two hours.

It then makes a two-hour descent under the balloon and splashes down, where a ship will retrieve the passengers, capsule and balloon. Each passenger may have to pay an estimated $125,000 (£100,000) for the six-hour journey.

Mark Lester, CEO of Alaska Aerospace, said the high-altitude rides will be available from Kodiak in a few years and will support Alaska tourism.

“You will have people from around the world who want to come to Alaska and see the northern lights from the edge of space,” he added.

The firm also believes its vessel will be especially useful in carrying out research related to atmospheric science that could shed light on Earth’s climate and air systems, astro- and solar-physics to improve our understanding of the universe as well as astrobiology.

The balloon design is derived from technology Nasa has used for decades to fly large research telescopes, Space Perspective said.