Orion Span, a Houston-based space tech startup has expressed its desire to launch a hotel in space. The Aurora space station is expected to be launched by 2020 and house its first guest by 2021, the company announced.
Features of Aurora Space Station
The space station is said to have two luxury suites 43 ½ feet long by 14 feet wide, with a pressurized volume of 5,650 cubic feet and a virtual reality holodeck which guest can use to enjoy zero gravity to the fullest. The guest will also get a chance to participate in different experiments like growing edible crops which they can take home as souvenirs.
The Aurora space station will house a total of 6 occupants 2 of which will be staff. The guest will get a chance to experience 16 sunset and sun rises in 24 hours. The station will complete one rotation of earth every 90 mins and will be 200 meters above the surface of the earth.
A 12-day stay will be $9.5 million per person, which comes to $791,666 per night. Frank Bunger, the founder, and CEO of Orion Span told media that company was continuously looking for methods to reduce the cost of the trip without compromising safety.
The Requirements To Apply For The Trip
There are certain requirements the applicants must meet before they are certified and sent into space. A traditional space certification takes about 24 months to attain, but Orion Span has cut that certification time to 3 months. The certification training will take place online and at Orion Span headquarters in Houston, Texas. The final certification will be awarded at The Aurora space station.
Other requirements include physical and mental fitness along with that absent of any disease that may spread or is contagious.
Other Companies Involved In Space Tourism
According to tourism experts, the desire to extend tourism into space has grown exponentially. Many companies have started working on projects involving space travel and tourism. While some companies are working on setting up orbital or suborbital platforms to house people, other companies are trying to develop technologies that would allow people to travel from one part of the earth to the other through space and hence revolutionize space travel along with air travel.
With the rapid advancement in technologies, it’s only a matter of time when space tourism becomes a reality.
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