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Space Hotel to Open in 2012
Posted by
Zonk
on Sat Aug 11, 2007 03:27 AM
from the l5-or-l4 dept.
from the l5-or-l4 dept.
blackdefiance writes "The New York Times is reporting that firm plans for the first hotel in space are now in the works. Slated for a 2012 opening, 'Galactic Suite' will cost about $4 million for a three-day stay. 'They may have solved the issue of how to take a shower in weightlessness -- the guests will enter a spa room in which bubbles of water will float around. When guests are not admiring the view from their portholes they will take part in scientific experiments on space travel. Galactic Suite began as a hobby for former aerospace engineer Claramunt, until a space enthusiast decided to make the science fiction fantasy a reality by fronting most of the $3 billion needed to build the hotel. An American company intent on colonizing Mars, which sees Galaxy Suite as a first step, has since come on board, and private investors from Japan, the United States and the United Arab Emirates are in talks.'"
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The Impossibility of Colonizing the Galaxy 979 comments
OriginalArlen writes "The science fiction writer Charlie Stross has written an excellent and comprehensive explanation of why, thousands of SF books, movies, and games notwithstanding, human colonization of other star systems is impossible. Although interstellar colonization seems common-sensical to many, Charlie makes a clear-headed and unarguable case, so far as I can see, that it ain't gonna happen without a 'magic wand' or two. Nevertheless it would be interesting to see reasoned responses from the community who believe that colonization is not merely possible, but inevitable — and even, as Hawking has said, vital for the survival of the species. So, who's right — Hawking or Stross?"
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2012? Damn. (Score:4, Funny)
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
If that were true, it wouldn't matter where you were, as long as you were still in the universe.
...and What happens in the universe, stays in the universe.
About time (Score:2, Insightful)
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Skeptical (Score:5, Insightful)
Also, I'm guessing the cited figure of "$4 million for a three-day stay" doesn't include the cost of getting to orbit in the first place. For a Soyuz flight, that's at least $20 million per person.
Maybe the just want investors (Score:5, Funny)
Hmm... (Score:2)
Vaporware (Score:5, Interesting)
I mean, the reporter takes their word for it when they say some American who they can't name is giving them $3 billion. I figure I could got to the same reporter and say someone is giving me a couple billion to build the world's biggest saussage and it will make the headlines the next day.
Not sure how much competition to Bigelow they really are, and I also have doubts about their $3 billion funding figure. I think we need more proof than their word.
Bigelow has: - A manufacturing plans currently building the modules for its stations - A corporate structure - Two test modules currently in space - A concrete business plan - More than 100 employees
Galactic Suite has: - A Web site with nice illustrations. Though its strange title font looks like it was done in Microsoft Paint.
This seems like little more than a nice Web site and fancy illustrations. Galactic Suite also seems to indicate it would use the Space Shuttle for construction, which would be news to NASA, which plans to put the orbiters in the Smithsonian by 2010.
Seems like more vaporware to me. I'd rather put my money on Bigelow to build the first private space station.
Bigelow put up some cool, REAL pictures from space on this page: http://bigelowaerospace.com/out_there/view_photos. php [bigelowaerospace.com].
Vacuumware (Score:3, Funny)
2012? (Score:5, Insightful)
Wait... (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Wait... (Score:5, Funny)
Parent
I think Roald Dahl already addressed this. (Score:3, Funny)
what are guests paying for? (Score:5, Funny)
and while up in space for three days...
During that time guests would see the sun rise 15 times a day...
costing $4 million for a three-day stay.
and then there is a bill correction afterward..
15 sunrises a day for three days = 45 sunrises.
I'm sorry sir, according to our corrected calculations you were up there for more than 3 days...
45 days to be correct.
At 4 million per three days that comes to $60 million dollars.
here is you after bill of $56 million.
Now its beginning to make financial since...
Just announced- the MC of the grand opening wil be (Score:4, Funny)
4 million? (Score:3, Funny)
The original article--no registration required (Score:3, Informative)
Here is the original article:
http://www.reuters.com/article/scienceNews/idUSL1
No registration required to see this.
Disgusting (Score:3, Insightful)
b
Re:Launch Vehicle (Score:5, Funny)
$4 million is just the room charge.
Transportation is extra.
You don't want to know what delivery costs for the pizza.
Parent
Re:Launch Vehicle (Score:5, Funny)
I bet Chinese food will be quite economical by that time.
Parent
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Bull (Score:4, Interesting)
Keep in mind that most of the $1.8 billion annual cost of the ISS [wikipedia.org] is spent on space shuttle flight operations. Of course, since the space shuttle is used almost exclusively for the ISS, a good part of the $4 billion a year it costs to keep the shuttles running should probably be added to that as well. In any case, NASA's ISS spending figure isn't a good indicator of how much it would cost to run a for-profit orbital habitat.
Parent
Re:You wouldn't believe it, but... (Score:5, Funny)
Parent