Your next vacation could take place among the stars. Orbital Assembly, the world’s “first large scale space construction company,” has announced plans to pioneer construction on the first-ever space hotel, Voyager Station. Construction on the hotel is set to begin in low Earth orbit in 2025, with hopes of the space hotel being fully operational as early as 2027.
Voyager Station will be constructed in orbit using automation and tele-robotics and will be the largest man made structure in space when complete, according to the company. The station will take the shape of a large circle and will reportedly circle the globe every 90 minutes, with the circle’s rotation generating artificial gravity similar to that on the moon. Orbital Assembly notes the space station and will boast 125,000 square feet of habitable space, which will be composed of different modules that are connected with access tubes. In total, there will be 24 habitation modules, some of which will be crew quarters. In total, there will be enough space for 316 to 440 people.
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We plan to build the Voyager Station before 2030, a 200-meter-wide rotating space habitat in Low Earth Orbit that can host 400 pax. Our CTO was JPL’s Space Flight Mission Architect for 10 years. To benefit FIRST from our Jan 29 announcement, register here https://t.co/ZJiIorEqrq pic.twitter.com/gTnSea74UA
— Orbital Assembly Corporation (@OrbitalOps) January 20, 2021
Vacationing among the cosmos won’t be much different than vacation here on Earth. Voyager Station will boast a number of amenities, including themed restaurants, a health spa, a cinema, gyms, libraries, concert venues, and Earth-viewing lounges and bars, the Daily Mail reports. There will also be space for necessities to support life in space, such as water and power. An inner un-pressurized “docking ring” will allow ships to unload passengers and cargo.
While the modules will be up for reservation similar to that of a hotel, allowing for a truly once-in-a-lifetime getaway, other modules will be leased or sold to private companies and governments. The outlet suggests that people will be able to purchase one of the 20×12 meter modules for a private villa or multiple modules to create a hotel with spa, cinema and more. Government facilities will also be able to use the station to house their own science module or as a training center for astronauts prepping to go to Mars. It is unclear how much a module will cost.
“This will be the next industrial revolution,” John Blincow, the founder of Gateway Foundation, which will run some of the Voyager’s pods, said, adding that rotation of the ship is “vital” to the project, as it will create gravity, which people need “so their bodies won’t fall apart.”
Those working on the project reportedly include NASA veterans, pilots, engineers, and architects. The space station will first be tested with a much smaller scale prototype before a robot by the name of STAR (Structure Truss Assembly Robot) builds the Voyager’s frame in orbit. Details regarding how much it will cost to construct Voyager Station have not been revealed.