China plans to build a $1.5 billion space park

A Chinese company is investing in building a park in Hangzhou so visitors can experience the feeling of traveling to space.

KuangChi's ship design. Photo: KuangChi Science

According toIbtimes, KuangChi Science Company announced that it will invest 10 million yuan (about 1.5 million USD) to develop the "Future Valley" park with the aim of letting people experience the feeling of being an astronaut in space.

A hot air balloon will pull the "spaceship" carrying people 21 km above the ground, above the atmosphere, to simulate a real space flight, fulfilling people's dream of going into space.

The company has now completed the design of the spacecraft, revealing that it will resemble the sealed cabin featured on Shenzhou 5, the rocket that first launched Chinese astronauts into space in October 2003.

"Our mission is to develop science and technology to create a future ecosystem," cKuangChi Science Chairman Liu Ruopeng said."Qingshan Lake, where the valley will be built, has a large water surface and ample space for operating machines."

The passenger train will have glass windows for sightseeing, a pressurized system and air conditioning that will make passengers feel like they are in a limousine. A secondary helium tank will be used in case of emergency.

To slow down during its fall back to Earth, the spacecraft will be equipped with parachutes, as well as an airbag system to slow the vehicle's motion upon landing.

Inside the ship, KuangChi is equipped with a high-speed computer system along with many sensors to ensure passenger safety and help the crew control the ship.

Underground there are also rooms that experience future technology such as furniture with artificial intelligence that can move on its own, even reconfigure itself to form new patterns.

The giant balloon will pull the spacecraft to an altitude of 21 km above the ground. Photo: KuangChi

However, to ensure absolute safety, KuangChi needs to ensure that the spacecraft is durable enough to perform multiple flights, something that most current designs do not consider, except for the Orion spacecraft designed by NASA and Lockheed Martin, which can be used for 10 flights. Otherwise, the cost of a single-use spacecraft would be very expensive.

KuangChi expects the first flight to take place in late 2017, and will invite about 3,000 scientists from more than 40 countries to research at the park when it opens.

According to VNE