Space tourism is getting closer and closer, as shown by the news that the world’s first space hotel, Voyager Station, is due to open in 2027.
1. Space tourism
Along with the private missions to space which will form a part of space tourism, such as Inspiration4 and DearMoon which enable customers to spend a few days in a SpaceX vehicle circling the Earth (Inspiration4) and moon (DearMoon), there will also be a few space hotels. These will offer people the opportunity to not only take a trip into space, but to stay there for several days in a luxury hotel.
2. Voyager Station
The most recent to announce a potential opening date is Orbital Assembly’s Voyager Station, which is currently scheduled to begin construction in 2026 and welcome guests in 2027.
Voyager Station will create artificial gravity using centrifugal force, so the hotel will be the shape of a Ferris wheel and will spin in order to simulate gravity in its pods.
Of course it will look somewhat different to a hotel on Earth, however the rooms and amenities will be mostly familiar to regular hotel-goers.
The hotel will feature luxurious accommodations for up to 280 guests, including villas which will be available for purchase as holiday homes, a gourmet restaurant, bar, gymnasium, and entertainment centre. Voyager Station is your standard high-end resort, only miles and miles out in space.
3. Adjustments to the original plans
The plans for the space hotel were first revealed in 2019 with the name Von Braun Rotating Space Station. However since then there has been some rebranding, as Wernher Von Braun was an aerospace engineer crucial to the development of rockets, but worked under the Nazi regime in Germany before coming to the United States and eventually joining NASA.
Also, the opening date has also been delayed from the original early estimate of 2025 to 2027. Although this questions the ambition of a 2027 debut, Orbital Assembly has suggested the delay is due to the Covid-19 pandemic rather than any technological holdups.
4. Space hotels in the future
Voyager Station is one of three space properties that are currently in development, the other two being Axiom Space’s AxStation and Orion Span’s Aurora Station. Voyager Station, however, is already taking reservations. Fancy a visit? A three-and-a-half-day stay will set you back $5 million…
