As soon as they are completed, Voyager Station and Pioneer Station are slated to become the first commercial space hotels in the world.
Mark your calendars for 2025 if a space hotel sounds appealing to you. Luxury accommodations in space will be available by then thanks to Orbital Assembly, a company specializing in designing and building space stations.
We should consider the final frontier as a destination when making grand travel plans after a pandemic. Anyone’s next R&R could take place among the stars, with two space hotels under construction – Voyager Station and Pioneer Station.
As well as accommodating intergalactic travelers, both space hotels would also be suitable for business, manufacturing, and research. Originally designed to accommodate 280 guests, Voyager Station, Orbital Assembly’s first proposed space hotel, has been updated to accommodate 400. Additionally, the company has recently shared plans for a smaller station called Pioneer Station, which could be operational as soon as 2025 with only 28 people at a time.
“We expect the duration to be as little as four days or as long as two weeks,” says Orbital Assembly CEO Rhonda Stevenson of potential trips to the hotel. “It depends on cost and also the ability to acclimate to a space environment.” Aside from price considerations, both Voyager and Pioneer Stations are designed to minimize the impact of this second factor.
Water spinning in a bucket is a simple demonstration of artificial gravity used by both stations. In much the same way one can spin a bucket in a circle while keeping the water inside, the space hotel would simulate gravity in a similar way. As a result, comfortable rooms and stylish bar experiences are possible.
Voyager Station and Pioneer Station, because of the physics involved, appear in many ways like giant floating wheels because of artificial gravity. In Voyager Station, the docking hub serves as the operation and control center, welcoming ships and also serving as a docking hub. Guests and employees are transported to the main hospitality area by elevators in spoke-like shafts, which encircle the structure like a tire.
“Artificial gravity functionality informs the overall layout of the station and the engineering of the structural members,” Orbital Assembly COO Tim Alatorre explains to Rich Report. “As we are generating artificial gravity through rotation, this introduces new structural scenarios that are unique to the space environment.
It is hoped that the amenities and comforts on Voyager Station and Pioneer Station will be similar to those found on traditional hotels on Earth.
While simulated gravity is important for long-term space habitats, visitors who venture so far often want to experience the weightlessness of space. To make sure this experience doesn’t go unnoticed, the company is planning to make sure it isn’t missed. “The interiors of Pioneer station, in particular, are designed to function in both zero gravity and partial gravity,” Alatorre states. “They are highly flexible to respond to the needs of a variety of tenants on the station.”
Guests can enjoy their drinks and meals in places where they feel like they’re in space, while in other sections, they’ll feel like they’re on earth.
On Voyager, zero-gravity experiences will also be possible, and recreational activities like basketball games will be able to soar higher due to the weightlessness of the environment. There may be no competition for LeBron James in outer space. To add further appeal to the theme, the hotel’s restaurant will also serve traditional “space food” like freeze-dried ice cream.
For now, the space hotel hasn’t commented on its room rates, but compared to other public space missions, it is likely to be expensive. Ordinary passengers will be launched into space by Virgin Galactic for $450,000 per trip. Voyager and Pioneer Station’s team has assured the public, however, that they hope to make staying at the hotel similar to taking a cruise as space tourism becomes more mainstream.
