by Elska Vuong
Things here on Earth got you down? Looking to escape it all for a little bit - like really escape? You’re going to have to wait a couple years, but come 2027 you could stay in the world’s first ‘space hotel’, courtesy of construction company Orbital Assembly Corporation. The hotel, named Voyager Station, aims to be a cruise ship-style luxury hotel floating above the Earth’s atmosphere, with capacity to lodge up to 280 guests (and 112 crew members) at a time.
Voyager Station will look similar to a large wheel, with a large rotating ring, comprised of 24 pods that connect to the central hub via elevators. The physics behind the design is similar to a simple science experience--if you tie a rope to a bucket of water, and spin the bucket in a large circle a fast enough, the water will not leak out. The bucket can be completely upside down and the water will not fall out. Similarly, the rotating wheel of the space hotel would work to create a simulated gravity that decreases as guests move closer to the central hub--all, hopefully, without any dizziness!
With the simulated gravity, guest rooms will feature many of the same comforts as those found in hotels on Earth. Guests can sleep in their beds and shower normally, with the added benefit of views that are quite literally ‘out of this world’. Voyager Station will also have chic bars and restaurants serving traditional ‘space food’, and plan to offer recreational activities like basketball that highlight the unique setting; the weightlessness and reduced gravity will allow participants to live out some of their Space Jam fantasies.
In terms of getting to the hotel, John Blincow, the head of Orbital Assembly Corporation, also a former pilot, says he’s looking forward to partnering with the companies actively working to make commercial space travel a reality, such as Virgin Galactic and SpaceX.
Ready to make a reservation? Voyager Station is already taking bookings - all you need is a cool $5 million for a three-and-half-day stay (transportation not included, of course). Or just go ahead and purchase one of their ‘villas’ as a vacation home. Construction is slated to begin in 2026, so plenty of time to save up. And for the vast majority of us who can’t afford it, we can still ‘space out’ and day dream.
