Claim Your Place In Space, Free

If being part of the first commercial space trip sounds like something only the ultra-wealthy might actually do, think again. KLM Royal Dutch Airlines has a competition going on right now that will award a trip into space, billions not required.

Called the Claim Your Place In Space contest, KLM is giving us the chance to be in Curacao on January 1, 2014, when the first commercial space trip takes off.

First, on April 22, KLM goes to the Nevada desert to launch a special high altitude balloon that will carry cameras and GPS tracking equipment to monitor the mission. Your part in the deal: guess how high the balloon will get before it pops.

Get it right (or have the closest estimate) and win a flight for two to Curacao, stay at a luxury hotel then board the SXC Lynx spaceship for a free ride.”If you win, you win big,” says KLM on its dedicated Claim Your Place In Space website (takes a while to load but worth it). “An all-inclusive ticket to space aboard the SXC Lynx … will rocket you 103 km (64 miles) up into space at 4 G’s of thrust.”

Win the prize, worth $95,000, and “you will see the earth as you never have before and experience complete weightlessness.”



[Photo credit- Chris Owen]

The Piilo: What is it?

Okay, it’s time to play guess that travel gadget again! Above is the Piilo. Do you know what it is? It’s either a:

  1. Theft-proof money pouch.
  2. Protective cover for a snowboard.
  3. Futuristic tent design.
  4. Smog-reducing face mask.

What do you think? Find out after the jump.

If you guessed a futuristic tent design, you’re right!

The Piilo probably isn’t something you’d take on your next camping trip, but it sure is interesting to look at. According to the designer, Markus Michalski, “the object is designed for the interior as a private secret retreat. it can be used at home, on the road or in the office.”

No other details — like will it keep rain out? — are available, and it’s not actually for sale. Yet. If it does become commercially available in the future, we’ll let you know. [via]