Space, the final frontier for scientists and astronauts, could be open to tourists with a new space hotel which could be operational by 2027.
The designs for the new Von Braun Station, a space station-like hotel, have been released for those looking to plan their next cruise in space.
According to video and images released by the California-based company the Gateway Foundation, the station resembles a rotating wheel, with 24 modules, orbiting the Earth. It’s this wheel design that will keep guests firmly grounded by simulating gravity.
‘The station rotates, pushing the contents of the station out to the perimeter of the station, much in the way that you can spin a bucket of water – the water pushes out into the bucket and stays in place,’ Tim Alatorre, senior design architect told CNN Travel.
Each of the 24 modules will function as guest rooms, which have been designed to reject sterile space cliches and include elements that mimic natural materials found on earth, like wood and stone.
Guests will be able to socialise in shared common spaces and won’t have to suffer through freeze-dried astronaut food, as the hotel will feature a full-service kitchen. Guests can also entertain themselves in the low-gravity parts of the station with low-gravity basketball, low-gravity trampolining, and rock climbing.
The hotel plans to accomodate 352 people, including crew, with a maximum capacity of 450. No price has been given for a night just yet, but it is unlikely to come cheap. According to CNN Travel, Gateway are hoping that the eventual mainstreaming of space travel will make the trip equivalent to a trip on a cruise ship.
‘These will be true cities in space that will be ports of call for those coming and going from the moon and Mars,’ Alatorre told Dezeen.
Image sources: The Gateway Foundation
