Hum Posted September 30, 2010 Share Posted September 30, 2010 MOSCOW ? A Russian company on Wednesday announced an ambitious bid to fill the vacuum in the space tourism market by stationing an orbiting hotel in the cosmos. The Moscow-based Orbital Technologies has sky-high hopes that its planned Commercial Space Station can serve as a tourism hub for well-heeled travelers and offer overspill accommodation for the International Space Station and workspace for science projects. But it's unlikely to come anytime soon -- the company wants to launch a seven-room station by 2016 but may increase or decrease that capacity based on customer demand. It also remained unclear whether the state-controlled RKK Energia company, named as the general contractor for the project, would have enough funds and capacities to carry out the plan. Energia builds Soyuz crew capsules and Progress cargo ships to deliver space crew and supplies to the International Space Station, which will be the only link to space after planned retirement of the U.S. shuttle fleet next year. Sergey Kostenko, Orbital Technologies' chief executive, told The Associated Press in an interview that the planned station would be "a comfortable hotel in orbit, designed specifically for tourists." more Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M_Lyons10 Posted September 30, 2010 Share Posted September 30, 2010 Wow. I can't see this taking off (Pun intended)... But I guess we'll just have to see. It would certainly be cool, but I think cost prohibitive... :-\ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Mirumir Subscriber¹ Posted September 30, 2010 Subscriber¹ Share Posted September 30, 2010 it will be more comfortable than the International Space Station because there won't be any unnecessary scientific equipment," he said.Until now, space tourists -- a handful of megarich CEOs and philanthropists -- have had to suffer the indignity of hitching a ride with astronauts and cosmonauts to the International Space Station and float around the space laboratory trying not to break anything. On a Commercial Space Station they would have a place to gawk at the view in private. The design is still being worked out, but some sketches released by Orbital Technologies resemble the International Space Station. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quattrone Posted September 30, 2010 Share Posted September 30, 2010 Just the travel to go out in the space cost millions... So it will be for the super rich folks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boramas Posted September 30, 2010 Share Posted September 30, 2010 Vapourware space station never gonna happen!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Mirumir Subscriber¹ Posted September 30, 2010 Subscriber¹ Share Posted September 30, 2010 Vapourware space station never gonna happen!!! Why do you think it's a vaporware? Do you doubt the Russian expertise in building space stations? There's definitely a market for space tourism as well since at least 7 people have already paid the Russian space agency something between $20-35 mil for a trip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Dick Montage Subscriber² Posted September 30, 2010 Subscriber² Share Posted September 30, 2010 Do you doubt the Russian expertise in building space stations? Have you not seen Armageddon? Sheesh! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
splur Posted September 30, 2010 Share Posted September 30, 2010 Yea, the legal contract you'd have to sign "there's a 50% chance you'll die or never come back" should deter most people from going. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hum Posted September 30, 2010 Author Share Posted September 30, 2010 I wonder what the radiation exposure level is ... :unsure: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rudy Posted September 30, 2010 Share Posted September 30, 2010 That would be cool.....too bad I'll never get enough money to afford this.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green_Eye Posted September 30, 2010 Share Posted September 30, 2010 This is a Dead Space type scenario just waiting to happen... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Growled Member Posted September 30, 2010 Member Share Posted September 30, 2010 Just the travel to go out in the space cost millions... So it will be for the super rich folks. For now, but over time it will get more affordable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quattrone Posted September 30, 2010 Share Posted September 30, 2010 For now, but over time it will get more affordable. Even if its true, normal regular folks will not be able to afford it in at least 100 years or so. Remember the first airlines to travel to other countries? at that time also was only available for the rich. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
COKid Posted September 30, 2010 Share Posted September 30, 2010 Will their rooms have bedbugs, as well? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrunkenBeard Posted September 30, 2010 Share Posted September 30, 2010 Even if its true, normal regular folks will not be able to afford it in at least 100 years or so. Remember the first airlines to travel to other countries? at that time also was only available for the rich. Actually it didn't take more than 20-30 years for plane travel to be something affordable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c3ntury Posted September 30, 2010 Share Posted September 30, 2010 Be epic if it did happen though :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts