Extreme Ballooning: Astronaut Ron Garan Takes Pilot Slot For World View Experience

Ron Garan has flown both on the Shuttle (STS-124) and the Soyuz (TMA-21) to the International Space Station. In 2014, he retired from NASA , wrote a book (The Orbital Experience) and earlier this week was named chief pilot for World View Experience.

What’s that? A futuristic company that's planning to take tourists to 100,000 feet via a helium balloon, giving them space-like views without the violent G forces of a rocket motor. Launches are planned from a spaceport in Tucson, AZ. The company won't say when commercial flights will begin, but experts predict within the next few years. A $7,500 (non-refundable) deposit is required to reserve a $75,000 ticket.

We spent a few minutes with Garan, 54, for thoughts about his new job. He was relaxed and reflective, but occasionally astronaut-speak crept into his answers (in a good way).

Jim Clash: Describe your first view from space.

Ron Garan: It was a profound experience. The first thing is the sobering realization that the atmosphere is paper-thin. It looks so unbelievably fragile, yet it’s protecting every living thing on the planet! Now I’d seen thousands of pictures of Earth from space, heard crew after crew come back and say how thin the atmosphere was. So my expectation was that the atmosphere was going to be thin. But when I saw it with my own eyes, it just blew me away. The other thing I felt, and I can’t really explain it, is that being completely detached from Earth also made me feel deeply connected with everyone on the planet. It was this overwhelming kinship.

JC: Why did you decide to work with World View Experience?

RG: I’ve found the company’s philosophy and outlook to be in line with my own. I left NASA so I could share the perspective of our planet from space, do it fulltime. I really feel that seeing Earth from above can have a positive effect on the trajectory of our global society. They call it “World View” for a reason - that's written into their DNA. Another thing is the environmental, humanitarian and social aspects. It’s not just about flying people to the edge of space – we can also fly communications and sensor packages, experiments, research, etc. World View is creating something that doesn’t exist yet, this high-altitude industry that traditionally has been relegated to a more expensive satellite industry.

JC: For tourists, what will the experience be like?

RG: Passengers will ascend gently at about 1,000 feet per minute until reaching 100,000 feet. You are going to see the sky turn from blue to black, the curvature of the Earth and the thinness of the atmosphere - and experience looking at the sun with the background of a black sky! I think that will have profound transformative effects on people.

JC: As I understand it, riders will be at 100,000 feet for a few hours, not as high as on a suborbital space flight with Virgin Galactic, Blue Origin or XCOR (above 328,100 feet), but certainly for a lot longer. Is that a good tradeoff?

RG: I do think there is an aspect of the transformative power that has the variable of how much time you experience it. There was an incredible difference between my ability to process being in space on my first mission, which was only two weeks, versus my second, which was almost six months.

JC: Sounds like it will be more comfortable than a rocket, too?

RG: Because the capsule is pressurized, you will be in a shirt-sleeve environment. There will be a bathroom on board, refreshment facilities and giant windows. Our plan is also to have connection to the Internet so you can bring along your friends and families virtually on the adventure. That is, if they’re not already in the capsule with you. We’ve had whole families purchase tickets. [Philippe Bourguignon, a former Euro Disney chief executive, has purchased tickets for his entire family.]

JC: When is all said and done, how do you get back to Earth?

RG: Once we are ready - and that will be dictated by the winds and where our landing sites are - we’re going to release the capsule from the balloon and fly back under a steerable parachute. It should take another hour to touch down.

Part 2: Astronaut Ron Garan: 'Soyuz Reentry Is Like Niagara Falls Barrel Ride, On Fire'