Mankind's first space hotel scheduled to open by 2027

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By 2027, a stay in space could be a reality. Photo: CNN

Californian space construction company The Gateway Foundation has shared a sneak peek video with designs of what guests could expect from the hotel, and it's pretty impressive.

Back in 2019, The Gateway Foundation released plans for a cruise ship-style hotel that could one day float above the Earth's atmosphere.

Then called the Von Braun Station, this futuristic concept -- comprised of 24 modules connected by elevator shafts that make up a rotating wheel orbiting the Earth -- was scheduled to be fully operational by 2027.

Fast forward a couple of years and the hotel has a new name -- Voyager Station -- and it's set to be built by Orbital Assembly Corporation, a new construction company run by former pilot John Blincow, who also heads up the Gateway Foundation.

In a recent interview, 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, as cited by CNN.

"We're trying to make the public realize that this golden age of space travel is just around the corner. It's coming. It's coming fast," said Blincow.

How would the world's first space hotel be?

Renderings of what the hotel might look like suggest an interior not dissimilar to a luxury Earth-bound hotel, just with some pretty spectacular out-of-this-world views.

When the initial designs premiered a couple of years ago, Tim Alatorre, senior design architect at Orbital Assembly Corporation told CNN Travel the hotel's aesthetic was a direct response to the Stanley Kubrick movie "2001: A Space Odyssey" - which he called "almost a blueprint of what not to do."

The space hotel would contain luxurious bedrooms, restaurants, a gym, and even a space where guests could enjoy live events such as sports and concerts.

Photo: CNN

There's set to be a large lounge bar with heaps of seating and a viewing area where you can look out to outer space and views of the Earth below, as well as a restaurant serving up gourmet dishes as well as the views.

The hotel rooms will have everything you'd expect from a luxury hotel including double beds, ensuite bathrooms, and windows also offering space views.

According to Mirror UK, the station is divided into 24 'pods', each of which will have a dedicated function such as hotel rooms, food (restaurant and the kitchens), live events, and some that are for the station's functionalities such as air, water, and power.

Photo: CNN

However, the hotel will ignore the novelty of being in space altogether. There are plans to serve traditional "space food" - like freeze-dried ice cream - in the hotel's restaurant.

Plus there will be recreational activities on offer that highlight the fact that you're able to do things that you can't do on Earth.

"Because of the weightlessness and the reduced gravity, you'll be able to jump higher, be able to lift things, be able to run in ways that you can't on Earth", added Alatorre.

The idea is that it will cater to "space tourists who want to experience life on a large space station with the comfort of low gravity and the feel of a luxury hotel". There will even be luxury holiday villas which can be bought for those feeling particularly enthusiastic!

Construction for the new hotel is planned to start within the next few years, with plans to open by the end of the decade.

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