SINGAPORE: After some two years of planning, Singapore startup IN.Genius is set on sending the first Singaporean to space by National Day this year.

The race is now down to 12 hopefuls, most of them commercial pilots, who have been going for extra training.

"They included underwater diving, paragliding and subsequently maybe even a hot air balloon licence, said commercial pilot Kayto Toh, who is a candidate for the potential Space Balloon flight. In conjunction with the underwater diving, we actually practise how to use the closed-circuit rebreather system. Basically it extends the supply of oxygen to the pilot who's inside the capsule. So it is special equipment we would have to learn how to use.

We went for a two-week paragliding course and that earned us an international licence, added Mr Toh. This was important because we would have to appreciate how a parafoil works because the parafoil is part of the landing system, the capsule landing system. Understanding that would allow us to be able to take control should the automation fail, so that's why being a pilot and knowing the aerodynamic forces is also part of the background requirements to become a suitable candidate. All of us are actually aviation licence holders as well."

"The biggest concern is the unknown, said Mr Kevin Lee, another potential candidate who is also a commercial pilot. We don't know what will happen. We can only figure out a few scenarios and situations that will happen, but the unknown is what we cannot predict and we have to react according to it.

We cannot prepare for it, so we just have to keep calm and think about what are the systems we are using, what are the capsule systems, and also our survival skills, which is very important. I'm trained as a commercial pilot and we are trained to accept this kind of contingency and react according to it. Of course, we are also very well-tuned in terms of keeping calm in terms of these kinds of situations."

TEST FLIGHTS IN INDIA, AUSTRALIA

The chosen one is set to fly a space balloon 20km into the stratosphere, or what is called the Armstrong Line. But the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) has shot down the idea due to safety reasons and the high density of air traffic in Singapore skies.

Even so, IN.Genius is going ahead with tests flights in India and Australia, which will first involve rats, then trained pilots. IN.Genius founder Lim Seng said: "Our job here as entrepreneurs and scientist engineers, is to advocate, is to do more flight tests, prove to the authorities through the help of the Indian authorities and then through the help of the Australian authorities, to show the Singapore authorities that it is indeed safe to do so."

Mr Lim pointed out that there is a window during National Day where airspace is closed for the flypast. He said this would be a good time to launch the balloon without disrupting air traffic.

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Firm to continue manned space balloon flight plans