With $40 million, you could book a trip to a luxury hotel on the ISS

By Lulu Chang December 26, 2017

russia luxury hotel iss space junk3 — NASA

For your next out of this world vacation, you now have the option of literally going out of this world — but it’ll cost you $40 million. Then again, can you really put a price tag on having the time of your life? As per a new report from Popular Mechanics, Russia is looking to build a luxury hotel in outer space. Slated to be stationed on the International Space Station, this hotel, if it ever comes to fruition, is likely to offer some seriously breathtaking views. And if you have $40 million to spare, you might as well tack on an extra $20 million for the opportunity to go on a spacewalk with a professional (which is to say, a cosmonaut).

While space tourism itself isn’t exactly a novel idea, the notion of building a full-fledged hotel hasn’t been raised before. Really, other companies are still focused on the transportation part of the puzzle — after all, a trip to space is enough for most folks. But if you really want to make the most of your time away from the planet, then the Russian space agency is here to help extend your visit.

Related Videos

As per the Popular Mechanics report, suggested amenities include a luxury orbital suite with big windows, personal hygiene facilities, exercise equipment, and yes, Wi-Fi. Because if you can’t share your experience on social media, did it really even happen?

Of course, the rationale behind the hotel isn’t just for fun and games. Apparently, space tourism might be able to help the Russians pay for another module to add to the International Space Station. Russian space contractor RKK Energia is currently building the first such module, which will give scientists a laboratory and power supply station from which to conduct tests.

If any of this is going to come to fruition, however, Russia is going to have to hurry. Seeing as the ISS is slated for decommissioning in 2028, there’s little time to build the hotel and scrounge up wealthy tourists to actually buy a trip into outer space. And to make matters more complicated, in order to actually begin construction, a contractor would need to find 12 passengers willing to pay $4 million sight unseen, with nothing but the promise of a future stay in the great beyond.

So if you’ve recently come into a fortune and are interested in investing in what could be the time of your life, ISS is calling your name.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Space

Virgin Galactic will carry private astronauts and space tourists to the ISS

View from Space on Virgin Galactic's First Spaceflight

Space tourism company Virgin Galactic could soon be offering private flights to the International Space Station (ISS) along with training for private astronauts as part of a partnership with NASA.

Virgin Galactic is best known for its plans for sub-orbital space tourism flights, in which people will be taken to the edge of space on its SpaceShipTwo spacecraft. A test flight of three people including a passenger went ahead last year, and the company recently performed another test flight from what will be the home base for the sub-orbital flights, Spaceport America. It's thought that the company will begin to offer these sub-orbital flights to paying customers within the next few years.

Emerging Tech

What happens to concrete when you mix it in space? ISS astronauts investigate

iss concrete mixing experiment mics gerst 1

European Space Agency astronaut Alexander Gerst works on the MICS experiment aboard the International Space Station. NASA

Concrete is a material used everywhere on Earth due to its strength and relatively light weight. That makes it a useful candidate for a material to build structures in space as well. But you can't simply mix up cement in space the same way you do on Earth and expect to reach the same result. The astronauts on board the International Space Station (ISS) have been performing experiments to see how concrete reacts during the hardening process in microgravity, and how this affects its microstructure and material properties.

Space

If you want to visit the ISS, you’d better start saving. And working out, too

international-space-station-visits

If you've ever wanted to visit space and you have a few million dollars to spare, now's your chance: The International Space Station (ISS) will soon begin accepting space tourists. But not just anyone will be allowed on board -- there will be a strict set of training requirements for potential astronauts, NASA told Digital Trends.

“NASA will work with commercial companies to identify minimum training requirements with safety as a top priority,” Gary Jordan of the NASA Johnson Space Center told Digital Trends.