The California-based Orbital Assembly Corporation has announced that it has hit its US$1 million fundraising goal, allowing it to plan the low-orbit construction of Voyager Station in 2025, and aiming for it to be fully operational two years later.
The Voyager Station will be a 400-person luxury hotel and will feature restaurants, health spa, cinema and all the amenities you would expect in an Earth-based property. The space station will be a large circle and rotate to generate artificial gravity that will be set at a similar level found on the surface of Mars. The space station will be made up of a series of rings, with 'modules' attached to the outermost ring. The firm also expects their ring to include viewing lounges, concert venues - all the additional things you would see on a luxury cruise ship, except this one will cruise around the Earth every 90 minutes.
No details of cost to build Voyager Station although OAC say build costs are getting cheaper thanks to reusable launch vehicles like the SpaceX Falcon 9.
The first space construction will be a prototype 61 metre gravity ring in low Earth orbit that can spin up to create gravity at 40% of Earth's gravity. The concept for the Voyager Station, which is a similar idea but on a much larger scale, first came about in 2012 with the launch of the Gateway Foundation. OAC, the firm established by the foundation to realise the vision of an orbiting station, was established in 2018 with the goal of it being operational by 2027.
'This will be the next industrial revolution,' explained John Blincow, founder of the Gateway Foundation.
Rotation is 'vital' says Blincow, as it is not viable to have people on a space station without gravity for long periods of time. People will be in space for months at a time – working in the hotel and in general maintenance.
“People need gravity so their bodies won't fall apart,' said Blincow.
Roll on 2025!
