Photo credit: Orbital Technologies
Affordable space tourism remains the stuff of fantasy but that’s not stopped Russian aerospace firm Orbital Technologies from launching plans to put a hotel in space by 2016. The luxury hotel pod will float 250 miles above earth and take two days by rocket to reach.
Orbital Technologies’ hotel pod was just one of many commercial space plans pushed by Russian firms at this year’s MAKS 2011 Airshow. That the Russians are making great strides in space tourism should come as no surprise to space enthusiasts with an appreciation of history. Under the stewardship of legendary Chief Designer Sergei Korolev, the USSR was the first country to launch a man (Yuri Gagarin) into orbit. And when Sputnik went up, the USSR achieved another notable space first.
Wired.co.uk reported what the “floating caravan” will boast four offer four cabins, with room for seven guests (and an experienced space crew, who will accompany the tourists), massive viewing portholes which “will offer views like no other holiday destination.” Guests will sleep in zipped-up sleeping bags (in horizontal or vertical positions), wash in sealed shower cubicles and eat lavish dishes (like braised veal cheeks with wild mushrooms and white bean puree), prepared on Earth and microwaved in space. The cost will likely put off the crowds. The celestial getaway will cost about $1 million for a week-long trip.
“’Getting away from it all’ may be a travel marketing cliché, but the phrase might take on a whole new meaning come 2016,” joked CNNGo.com, which noted that the trip will not be an option to last-minute hotel planners: “To check in, tourists will have to undergo special training that can take up to three months, depending on the type of spacecraft they fly to the hotel.” The blog wondered what, once the views have been appreciated, there’ll be to do in space for tourists: “Not much, it turns out, apart from going online and watching TV.”
The Daily Mail drilled down into the finer details of the hotel: “Iced tea, mineral water and fruit juices will be available, but alcohol will be strictly prohibited. Toilets will use flowing air instead of water to move waste through the system. Waste water will be recycled, while the air will be filtered to remove odour and bacteria and then returned to the cabin.”