Will UAE Make History?
New Space company founded by MIT graduate Jose Mariano Lopez-Urdiales is considering the launch of human and robotic Space missions from the United Arab Emirates by the end of this year after discussion with local aerospace consultants. It would be an honor for Zero 2 Infinity to take the UAE to unprecedented heights with the grace of the President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Vice President His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Until now, no other Arab nation has conducted crewed Space missions from its own soil. With the UAE being among the fastest-growing technological areas and the ultimate luxury holiday destination, a balloon trip to the edge of Space is a perfect match to the nation’s future. Zero 2 Infinity is the first sustainable, experiential aerospace company developing zero emissions flights to the edge of Space. Bloon isZero 2 Infinity’s maiden vehicle, conceived from day 1 to provide an incredible journey to the edge of our planet, and all in an environmentally friendly way, both for leisure and scientific purposes. Bloon will calmly soar through our atmosphere to an altitude of 36 km where the Earth glows blue below and the sky is always black, day and night.
A Bloon flight consists of three stages. The first one is the smooth ascent of the lighter-than-air vehicle using a stratospheric helium balloon attached to a pressurized pod (1 hour). The second phase involves a long cruise at a constant altitude of 36 km in which travelers will enjoy the beauty of our world (2 hours). The final phase is the guided descent of the vehicle using textile-based decelerators to safely descend to the landing area. The pod will carry four passengers with two pilots in a very comfortable cabin. Thanks to the 360° panoramic windows and 2 hours at cruise altitude, the overview will be breathtaking. The natural beauty of the UAE, its coastline and the palm and world islands will provide a magnificent landscape for the passengers on Bloon. A ride on Zero 2 Infinity’s Bloon is non-polluting, very gentle and extremely safe. No rockets, no high accelerations, no supersonic reentry, no special physical conditions needed and, unlike other Space access providers, no political restrictions.
Zero 2 Infinity is on track to perform the first crewed flight in a year time. It has performed several successful robotic flights flying a life-supporting capsule on November 2012. Currently, the company is seeking local partnerships to make history. The UAE is the perfect spot for Zero 2 Infinity to establish its launch operations: the climate and the beauty of the landscape of the UAE, the world-class luxury travel offer and the business potential, not to mention the constant innovation atmosphere and the nascent aerospace hub with skilled workforce that can be found in the Emirates, all create the necessary requisites for finding outstanding partnerships.
Together we can send the first Arab to the edge of Space from his/her own country, with local means, local partners and local business, but with global impact.