Space tourism is picking up speed and is set to have a destination in space: a hotel that is scheduled to open in 2027. But who can afford that?
Huntsville – The first paying tourist flew into space as early as 2001, but space tourism only picked up speed in 2021. First the billionaire flew Richard Branson with the VSS Unity spaceplane his company Virgin Galactic into space, followed shortly afterwards by the billionaire jeff bezosdealing with the rocket “New Shepard” of his company Blue Origin shot into space. SpaceX, billionaire Elon Musk’s space company, is also involved and sent first four private individuals into Earth orbit for several days and then one private crew of four to the International Space Station.
Space tourism is booming, but the companies that send individuals into space are missing a target, believes Tim Alatorre, head of Orbital Assembly, which plans to build two hotels in space. The situation so far is “like if you want to visit the Grand Canyon and then you drive past it and come straight back home,” he compares to CNN Travel. the International Space Station is primarily a place to work and research, while his company’s space hotels are designed to fill a different niche, Alatorre said. It should feel like a “sci-fi dream”. in one Washington Post article Among other things, there is talk of well-known chefs who are supposed to cook for guests in space.
Space hotel: “Voyager Station” is scheduled to open in 2027
The idea for the space hotel that Orbital Assembly is planning has been circulating for a number of years. It was originally unveiled by the Gateway Foundation company and was dubbed the Von Braun Station, reports CNN Travel. But the Connections of the German space visionary Wernher von Braun to National Socialism caused the name to be changed. “The station isn’t really related to him. It’s based on his design, and we like his contributions to science and space,” former Orbital Assembly chief John Blincow told CNN in 2021. Now the planned hotel in space bears the name “Voyager Station”.
Diameter: 200 meters | Diameter: at least 35.5 meters |
People: 316 to 440 | People: 14 to 56 |
Amenities: hotel rooms, gym, restaurant, bar | Amenities: 2-8 habitable modules |
Start: planned for 2027 | Start: possible within three years |
Source: Orbital Assembly |
According to the company, the space hotel “Voyager Station” is scheduled to open in 2027 and offer space for around 400 people. At the same time, a smaller hotel is planned: The “Pioneer Station” should be able to accommodate 28 people and be put into operation within three years. In the two hotels there will be office space, research facilities and hotel rooms for travelers that can be rented. Both space stations are said to be in the shape of a wheel that rotates to provide artificial gravity onboard the space hotel. In the outer part of the wheel, artificial gravity should make amenities such as showers or a toilet possible, while in the inner part there would be less or no gravity – visitors could enjoy weightlessness there.
Space Hotel: Space travel is very expensive
But there is still a big catch: Travel into space has so far been very expensive – unattainably expensive for most people. However, Alatorre is optimistic, telling CNN: “The goal has always been to make it possible for large numbers of people to live, work and thrive in space.” In the future, space tourism should not be a niche for billionaires: “We are doing everything we can to make space accessible to everyone, not just the wealthy,” emphasizes Alatorre.
In 2021, The Washington Post reported that a trip to the first space hotel would cost $5 million for three and a half days. A hefty price that only very few people can afford – but compared to other space excursions it is downright cheap. The private astronauts in April 2022 with SpaceX who flew to the International Space Station ISS for several days are said to have each paid 55 million US dollars for their trip into space.
Construction of a space station in space
The construction of the International Space Station ISS, which is likely to be smaller than the planned “Voyager Station”, was a long-term affair: 42 rocket launches were necessary to bring all the necessary parts into the earth’s atmosphere. It took eleven years for the ISS to be considered “complete” – and elements are still being modified or added to today.
For comparison: According to the US space agency Nasa, the ISS has a pressurized volume of about 915 cubic meters. According to the company, the “Voyager Station” should have 51,104 cubic meters.
Space hotel to be built – criticism of space tourism
Criticism of space tourism and the hint that one could do more with the money on earth, Alatorre rejects: Numerous “life-changing technologies” came from the space travel, like GPS. In addition, life in space offers the chance to change something: “These closed systems will change the culture, the way people think about the use of resources,” he emphasizes.
It is not known when and with which rocket operator the space hotels will actually be transported into space and set up there. On the other hand, another company is already getting down to business: Amazon has already secured rocket launches for the “Project Kuiper” satellite constellation — and shorted almost the entire market except for SpaceX. (tab)
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