From HTN staff – 9/26/2022
Hilton has reportedly signed on as the official hotel partner of Starlab, the proposed free-flying commercial space station. Hilton will reportedly be working with Voyager spacea global provider of spacecraft technology, is bringing its hospitality expertise and experience to support the design and development of crew suites aboard Starlab, “to help reinvent the human experience in space and extend it.” to make stays more comfortable.”
“Hilton has been innovating to improve guest experiences and open new destinations for more than a century. We are very excited to be working with Voyager to bring this expertise to Starlab,” he said Chris Nassetta, President and CEO of Hilton, which has a portfolio of 18 brands with 7,000 properties, all currently located on planet Earth. “For decades, discoveries in space have positively impacted life on Earth, and now Hilton has the opportunity to leverage this unique environment to enhance the guest experience wherever people travel. This landmark collaboration underscores our deep commitment to spreading the light and warmth of hospitality and providing a friendly, dependable stay—whether on Earth or in space.”
Voyager and its operating company Nanoracks were awarded 160 million dollars NASA funding in 2021 for the Starlab space station to replace the International Space Station. Starlab is said to have the capacity to continuously host and accommodate up to four astronauts George Washington Carvers (GWC) Science Park, a state-of-the-art laboratory system and first science park in space. Starlab has leveraged the experience of Voyager and Nanoracks in managing global customer experiences and research operations on the International Space Station for over a decade.
This unique project builds on Hilton’s global leadership in the hotel and hospitality industry. In partnership with Voyager, Hilton will bring this unique scale and customer focus to Starlab as it continues to serve every traveler for every travel need.
The research and design work dedicated to Starlab could also lead to advances that drive sustainability and increase design efficiencies for future hotel owners in space and on Earth.
Voyager and Hilton will reportedly collaborate on architecture and design, leveraging Hilton’s world-class creative design and innovation experts to develop the space hospitality crew’s headquarters aboard Starlab, including common areas, hospitality suites and bedding for the astronauts. In addition, the teams will seek to jointly explore opportunities for longer-term efforts, including the ground-to-space astronaut experience, which may ultimately include tourism and accommodation.
First hotel in space
Meanwhile, a California-based company is big on space tourism. New details suggest a hotel space station called Pioneer Station, developed by Orbital Assembly Corporation, could be operational as early as 2025. As discussed here, the space station will reportedly be powered by artificial gravity and contain a state-of-the-art hotel. Luxurious accommodations have a maximum capacity of 280 guests. Amenities include a gourmet restaurant, bar, gym and entertainment center. Villas are offered for sale as holiday homes.
According to the company, the station will be the first free-flying, habitable, privately operated facility in orbit for work and leisure. “With artificial gravity, OA is leading the space tourism market with a safe and comfortable in-orbit destination,” the company reported in a press release this week. “Next, OA will develop the larger Voyager Station, which can seat up to 400 people and offer many of the amenities of a luxury hotel on Earth with the convenience of an artificial gravity experience.”
“At SUTUS, Orbital Assembly will also preview, prior to release, the space industry’s first comprehensive research into the benefits, challenges and opportunities of variable and partial gravity for human health, operations and human support systems aboard orbiting habitats,” says Rhonda Stevenson, CEO of Orbital Assembly. The goal is to better plan an ideal tourism experience without compromising the physical and mental well-being of a person vacationing in space.”
