Space Hotels – The Reality is Here.
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Commercial Space Travel Brings the Need for Space Hotels
Brian Binnie, and Mike Melvill, the pilots of Scaled Composites SpaceShipOne were awarded the title of Commercial Astronaut by the United States Federal Aviation Administration. This is a new classification that distinguishes the holder as an astronaut, but is not associated with the United States NASA space program. More Info
With this, the space race for commercial interest was on and space tourism was born. One step in space tourism development is to provide a destination built for such travelers: A space hotel. Welcome to the future!
Several plans have been proposed for using a space station as a hotel. American motel tycoon Robert Bigelow has acquired the designs for inflatable space habitats from the Transhab program abandoned by NASA. His company, Bigelow Aerospace, has already launched two inflatable habitat modules. The first, named Genesis I, was launched 12 July 2006. The second test module, Genesis II, was launched 28 June 2007. Both Genesis habitats remain in orbit and continue to function perfectly. Bigelow's newest modules have 3 times the volume of the average module at the International Space Station. These new modules can be leased to other countries (seven countries have signed on so far), to private companies or individuals. Robert Bigelow says that the habitats can be used in space, on the moon (possibly as a resort), on Mars and beyond. More on Bigelow Aerospace
Not to be outdone, other companies have also expressed interest in constructing "space hotels" too. For example, Excalibur Almaz plans to modernize and launch its Soviet-era Almaz space stations, which will feature the largest windows ever on spacecraft. Virgin's Richard Branson has expressed his hope for the construction of a space hotel within his lifetime. He expects that beginning a space tourism program will cost $100 million. Hilton International announced the Space Islands Project, a plan to connect together used space shuttle fuel tanks, each the diameter of a Boeing 747 aircraft. A separate organization, Space Island Group announced their distinct Space Island Project (note the singular "Island"), and plans on having 20,000 people on their "space island" by 2020, with the number of people doubling for each decade. and last but not least, British Airways has expressed interest in the venture. If and when Space Hotels develop, it would initially cost a passenger $60,000, with prices lowering over time.
For More Information Please Contact:
CRAIG CURRAN , ASA
Galactic Experiences By DePrez, DePrez Travel Bureau, Inc.
585-442-8900 X224