The private space station Starlab's astronaut facilities will be designed by hotel giant Hilton.
Hilton Will Build Astronaut Hotel Rooms
Voyager Space Holdings and its operating company Nanoracks, together with Lockheed Martin, are currently developing the free-flying Starlab space station. The first Starlab is expected to be operating in low Earth orbit as early as 2027, according to CNBC.
The collaboration is a first of its kind for developing private stations. However, a hotel in orbit has long been envisioned as a possibility by both the space and hospitality industries.
"For decades, discoveries in space have been positively impacting life on Earth, and now Hilton will have an opportunity to use this unique environment to improve the guest experience wherever people travel," Hilton CEO Christopher Nassetta said in a statement.
ISS Will Retire Soon
In the next ten years, NASA plans to replace the International Space Station (ISS) with a group of private space stations, one of which is Starlab.
As NASA gets ready to decommission the ISS in 2030, four more space stations are being constructed by U.S. companies with funding from NASA contracts.
In the Commercial LEO Destinations program, Nanoracks was awarded the largest individual contract from NASA to assist in the development of Starlab.
The project is one of four design contracts worth $416 million that NASA has awarded to three U.S. companies: Nanoracks LLC ($160 million), Blue Origin ($130 million), and Northrop Grumman Systems Corp. ($125.6 million).
What To Expect Once the Private Space Station Is Ready
Starlab's architecture and design will be jointly developed by Hilton and Voyager. For visiting astronauts, the private space station will provide hospitality rooms, lodging, and common areas, according to a news story by Space.com.
When finished, Starlab will have space for up to four astronauts at once and a facility called George Washington Carver Science Park.
The first Starlab, according to Voyager Chairman and CEO Dylan Taylor, would be constructed to be as flexible as possible. They are primarily looking for a design that allows for the coupling of three modules.
Longer term plans for the company include several Starlabs that are purpose built for specific market demands.
In the third quarter of 2023, Voyager expects to start production on the first Starlab module.
Hilton Already Had a Project in Space
Hilton was the first hospitality company to take part in research on board the ISS in 2020.
The world's first space oven was used by astronauts to bake the renowned DoubleTree by Hilton cookies while they were in orbit. According to Travel and Leisure, these cookies made history as the first meal prepared in space.
