Space Hotel: Science Fiction Or Science Fact?
Over the last week, I put up a couple of articles detailing how things are moving at an amazing speed.
So what are your thoughts about a Space Hotel? Think it absurd? Far out there?
Well, if one company has its way, we could be seeing this in operation by 2027.
The Gateway Foundation, a California company, is targeting that date to have its Voyager Station in orbit. The above picture is a rendering of what it is going to look like.
Space cadets might be familiar with that picture. It is based upon the design of Wernher von Braun, the famed aerospace engineer. He created the design more than 60 years ago.
The hotel is similar to most luxurious hotels on Earth in terms of the interior design. In other words, this is not going to be akin to a Motel 8 or Days Inn. Of course, it will likely cost more than $50 or $60 a night.
There is also no word on what transportation will cost. Virgin Galactic is set to launch its passengers into sub-orbit, at the cost of $250K per person. Hopefully the price will come down in a few years to make the trip more affordable.
One of the keys to this design is the hotel actually rotates, creating the effect of gravity. This will allow people to operate as if they were on Earth. Since all the facilities are located out the outer edges of the structure, the force pushes everything out there, resulting in artificial gravity. There is none near the center.
As for the timeline, this is what John Blincow, head of Gateway had to say:
In a recent interview with CNN Travel, Blincow explained there had been some Covid-related delays, but construction on the space hotel is expected to begin in 2026, and a sojourn in space could be a reality by 2027.
This is obviously an aggressive timeline. Even if they do not reach that date, and it is pushed back to 2030 or even 2032, that is still basically within a decade from right now. Do you believe something is possible?
That is why it is a question of "Science Fiction or Science Fact"?
Obviously, there is going to be a lot of money dumped into this project, just like there is in dozens of other projects. However, space is on the minds of a lot of people, with actually businesses opening up their doors. SpaceX and Virgin Galactic are two of the best known entities that are looking to become leaders in the Space Race.
The idea of a Space Hotel has long fascinated people. In fact, Gateway seeks to make this excursion akin to taking the family to Disneyland.
Of course, with such a facility, there are advantages to being in space. While the outer edges of the hotel would have gravity, it will be lessened the closer to the center one goes. Thus, playing in the world of reduced to no gravity presents a host of recreational possibilities.
As the above picture shows, now everyone can participate in a slam dunk content. It is not clear if shooting free throws will be possible since the ball will tend to keep going.
We are in an era where a great deal of conversation is taking place around the idea of space colonization. Elon Musk is a big proponent of this, pushing the march towards settling on Mars. He feels there can be 1 million people living on that planet by 2050.
Others are not so certain.
However, in the meantime, a bit closer to home, we see many plans to try an enter space on a more regular basis. Not only are we filling the skies with satellites, but we are looking to add it to people's bucket list. The previously mentioned Virgin Galactic is very close to sending their first passengers into space. This is the first step in making it a viable business venture.
Of course, if space hotels are going to become a reality, transportation is a necessity. The idea of sending people and supplies up into space is something that a number of companies are working on.
The question is whether all of this will become a reality or are we just throwing a lot of money down the drain? Naturally, the science and engineering is there to pull this off. However, is it something that people will truly embrace. We might look to the airline industry for some insight.
There was a time when flying was very dangerous. It was only 70 years ago where getting on a place meant taking your life into your hands (or the pilots). Plane crashes were rather frequent. Today, they are much rarer, to the point where they are almost non-existent, at least among commercial airliners.
It is easy to imagine that the early days of space transit will not be the safest thing to do. We know that a number of astronauts died over the years. Of course, we see more than 1 million people dying on the highways around the world yet most people sill drive.
If they can get this going, the costs will drop over time. As with all technologies, the early phases are unreliable and expensive. Then, over time, as updates are made, the quality improves with the price dropping.
How viable is all this? We will have to wait and see.
Yet, if Gateway has its way, we will see a space hotel before the end of this decade.
I would say that qualifies as something different from our past.
Perhaps they can tokenize the project.
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