Orion Span: Your Home Away From Home

Imagine for a minute you are going on a trip. You have your bags packed and tickets bought. This trip will only happen once in your life. Why? This trip costs a lot of money. You may have enough money to do it one time. The journey you have planned will take you a hotel in space. However, right now this hotel does not exist. It soon will if the founders of Orion Span get the money they need to build a luxury space hotel.

Orion Span

In April 2018, Orion Span, a Houston based company, announced their plans to build a space hotel. The hotel, called the Aurora Spacestation, will house occupants for a minimum of twelve days. Furthermore, the company plans to add stackable units and make them into condominiums. Owners of the condominiums can rent our their units to other space travelers. Eventually, Orion Span plans to have a multi-leveled city circling in low Earth orbit.

“We developed Aurora Station to provide a turnkey destination in space. Upon launch, Aurora Station goes into service immediately, bringing travelers into space quicker and at a lower price point than ever seen before, while still providing an unforgettable experience”, said Frank Bunger, chief executive officer and founder of Orion Span. “Orion Span has additionally taken what was historically a 24-month training regimen to prepare travelers to visit a space station and streamlined it to three months, at a fraction of the cost. Our goal is to make space accessible to all, by continuing to drive greater value at lower cost”.(Orion Span, 2019)

Credit: Orion Span

Credit: Orion Span

Hotel Amenities

How much will this luxury trip cost? A mere 9.5 million dollars will get you aboard the Aurora Station. What can you expect during your first? First, travelers will enjoy the exhilaration of zero gravity and fly freely throughout Aurora Station. Second, they can take part in research experiments such as growing food in orbit. As a bonus, they can take the food home as a type of souvenir. As travelers soar 200 miles above the Earth’s surface, they will enjoy stunning views of the Earth. The hotel will orbit Earth every 90 minutes, meaning those aboard will see an average of 16 sunrises and sunsets every 24 hours. (Orion Span, 2019)

Guests will also be able to talk to their loved ones via high-speed internet over their twelve-day stay.  On return to Earth, guests will be treated to a hero’s welcome home.

Training for Space

For guests to make the trip, they will have to complete a short training program. Three months before launch, guests will travel to a training facility in Houston, Texas. In addition, guests will need to complete a computer certification program detailing basic spaceflight, orbital mechanics, and pressurized environments in space. Once on board the Aurora Space Station, you will have the final part of your training. This training will then certify you for future space flights.

Right now Orion Span is raising money to get their project off the ground. They plan to have their hotel in space by 2021. We look forward to watching the progress of this luxury hotel in space.