Russia unveiled the plan of building a luxury hotel in space and get into the space tourism business.
As per Popular Mechanice, the Roscosmos State Corporation for Space Activities, Russia’s own space agency has plans of building a 20-ton, 51-foot long luxury hotel module on the International Space Station (ISS).
There will be four sleeping quarters in the module, a pair of “hygiene and medical” stations, a lounge area, exercise equipment, and Wi-Fi.
The estimated cost would be between 16.4 and 26.2 billion rubles or $279 million— $446 million.
The “luxury hotel” in orbit would be similar to the Science and Power Module (NEM-1). It is under construction and Russia plans to send to the ISS in 2021.
A combination of private and state investments will pay to build the new module.
The potential passengers can pay in installments where the initial payments will be used for the development of the module.
RKK Energia, Russia’s leading space station contractor brings a long-term plan to pay for the module.
A minimum of 12 passengers should be booked by the contractor who could pay upto $4 million. This will be followed by two $12.6 million payments during the two years that will lead upto the actual flight.
Before the launch a final $10.8 million payment would be made.
$40 million for a trip to the hotel module has to be paid by one passenger for 1-2 weeks.
While a month-long stay with an optional spacewalk would cost another $20 million.
The project is currently facing challenges regarding the complexity required to build the hotel module.
Also the ISS is scheduled to be retired in 2028, as per RKK Energia the hotel module could reach the ISS by 2022 but it is expected to take at least seven years to bring the building costs.
On the occasion if ISS retired on time , RKK Energia will not be able to profit much in the allotted time.
