Balloons the size of a football field that aim to take tourists into space as soon as next year will be constructed at a new facility on the Space Coast.

ORLANDO, Fla. — Balloons the size of a football field that aim to take tourists up to the edge of space as soon as next year will be constructed at a new facility on the Space Coast. State and ...

The length of our balloon manufactured is about 550 feet long. And it will take about five weeks to build some of the first ones," said Mitzi Giles, factory director.

Its balloon-powered space capsule, named Spaceship Neptune, is designed to be slowly lifted to the stratosphere, about 100,000 feet (19 miles) above Earth, at a speed of 12 miles per hour.

Space Coast dignitaries attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony at this balloon factory in August. MacCallum said he expects crews to complete the first balloon in a few weeks.

Factory workers should soon increase production to a couple of balloons per month, he said. Balloons are flown once, then recycled. MS Voyager will dock at a Fort Pierce marine terminal for ...

ORLANDO, Fla. — Balloons the size of a football field that aim to take tourists up to the edge of space as soon as next year will be constructed at a new facility on the Space Coast. State and ...