Earth’s First Luxury Space Hotel Could Launch As Soon As 2022
Tags: opinion
By Amanda Froelich Truth Theory
Nearly everyone has dreamt about traveling to space and within the next few decades, many will have the chance. But when passengers make it to their destination, where will they stay? If all goes according to plan, at the Aurora Station, Earth’s first luxury space hotel.
By 2021, the startup Orion Span seeks to launch the Aurora Station into orbit. As early as 2022, it could start accepting guests. If you are interested in such an experience, you may want to start saving money. The 12-night stay, which includes food, transportation to and from Earth, and three months of training, costs $9.5 million per person.
Only four guests can check into the Aurora Station at a time. To reserve a spot, an $80,000 deposit is required. Fortunately, it is entirely refundable.
As Space News reports, little else is known about the startup’s plans. The only other tidbit of information the company has shared is that because the hotel is a single module, no additional assembly would be necessary once it reaches orbit.
As neat as it sounds, the Aurora Station is still a concept. If it becomes a reality, however, Orion Span will likely partner with private companies for transportation, such as Virgin Galactic. “That will be through partnerships with SpaceX, Blue Origin or a space agency,” said Orion Span’s CEO, Frank Bunger. As of yet, no partnerships have been announced.
Other details have yet to be worked out, such as where the Aurora Station will be built. According to Bunger, it will be assembled in a facility in Houston, Texas. However, that facility does not yet exist. “We’ll probably be getting that in the next six to nine months,” said Bunger.
The company currently has six employees. Only a handful have backgrounds in space. Before Bunger got in the business of luxury space accommodation, he worked as a vice president at an information technology company.
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Source: Space News, Engadget
Image Credit: Orion Span
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