A startup near Tokyo has recently begun accepting orders for a service beginning next spring to fly customers' items high into the stratosphere by balloon and capture images of the items against the backdrop of Earth and outer space.
Space Balloon Inc. based in Mito, Ibaraki Prefecture, will launch a balloon carrying remote-controlled cameras and objects of a customer's choice that will travel to an altitude of around 25,000 meters above sea level. The images will give the impression that the items are floating in space.
The balloon, inflated with helium gas and measuring about 2 meters in diameter, will rise until it bursts in ultra-thin air, with the camera container and objects parachuting down to the Pacific Ocean for recovery.