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Space

Deposits are only $80,000 for the trip of a lifetime.

ByAda Carr
April 10, 2018Updated: April 10, 2018, 2:26 pm EDTPublished: April 10, 2018, 2:26 pm EDT


The image above shows an artist's rendition of the Aurora Space Station, the world's first luxury space hotel. The station was developed by U.S.-based aerospace company Orion Span and is expected to begin hosting visitors by 2022.

(Courtesy of Orion Span)


Most people looking to vacation among the stars head to Hollywood, but a U.S.-based startup has announced the development of the world's first luxury space hotel.

Aerospace company Orion Span plans to begin offering stays at its Aurora Station by 2021, starting with a 12-day trip around the globe, according to the company's website. It expects to begin hosting visitors by 2022.

The station can hold up to six people at a time, including two crew members, and will float 200 miles above the Earth's surface, allowing travelers to be close enough to take pictures of their hometowns from above, according to the site. The station completes an orbit every 90 minutes, giving the opportunity to see plenty of sunrises and sunsets, as well as a unique view of the famed aurora borealis.

Visitors can also do live video chats with people back on Earth thanks to high-speed internet aboard the station, CNN reported.

(MORE: The Center of Our Galaxy is Swarming With Black Holes)

"Our goal is to make space accessible to all," CEO and founder Frank Bunger said in a statement obtained by CNN. "Upon launch, Aurora Station goes into service immediately, bringing travelers into space quickly and at a lower price point than ever seen before."

The station will circle the globe in the Lower Earth Orbit (LEO), where the International Space Station (ISS), Hubble Space Telescope and most satellites are found.

All visitors are required to go through a mandatory three-month training before their stay and will receive an astronaut certification from Orion Span, according to the company. The training involves learning the basics of spaceflight, the pressurized space environments and the mechanics of the orbit.

The company’s staff is made up of veterans in the space industry, who have a combined 140 years of experience in the field, according to CNN.

Deposits are $80,000 for the $9.5 million total trip. Orion Span says it plans to eventually begin selling space condos aboard the station where people can sublease, visit or even live.

“Orion Span's proprietary architecture enables us to 'stack up' Aurora Station in a way that has never been done before in space station design,” states the company’s website. “Like a city rising from the ground, this unique architecture enables us to build up Aurora Station in orbit dynamically and with no impact to the remainder of Aurora Station.”

The cosmic hotel was announced during the Space 2.0 summit held this month in San Jose, California, SkyNews reported.

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