Staying at a five-star hotel or property is often considered the epitome of human luxury. However, that may soon no longer be the case. In fact, in a few years’ time, people may head out to space, the last frontier, to enjoy otherworldly thrills.
Orbital Assembly Corporation, a US-based space company, is conceiving and developing plans for what it calls a “space business park”, to accommodate offices and research spaces for rent. The recently revealed plans indicate that it will consist of a number of units connected by elevator shafts to form a charkha (wheel)-like station moving around the earth. It may all sound intricate and complicated, but the mechanism governing its operation is a simple one and is akin to that of a spinning bucket of water. "The station rotates, pushing the contents of the station out to the perimeter of the station, much in the way that you can spin a bucket of water -- the water pushes out into the bucket and stays in place," Tim Alatorre, Orbital Assembly's chief operating officer, explains to CNN.
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Orbital Assembly wants to build not one, but two such stations. The smaller one, called Pioneer Station, which can accommodate around 28 people, is expected to start business from 2025. The larger one, called Voyager Station, is a more exquisite affair and can hold up to 400 people. It will likely open in 2027. The renderings of the interiors of both stations convey the sense that they will be luxury residential and working areas offering the best views of earth from space. Alatorre also mentions to CNN that these experiences will not just be for the rich and will be “accessible to everyone”, while reiterating his commitment to creating and inviting “sustainable communities” up in space.
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Undoubtedly, these are lofty goals, but how much is achievable in the span of merely three years. Even though space tourism is taking off in a big way as the years pass, affordability and ensuring safety still remain the two biggest challenges to be overcome.
