Courtesy: Victor Tangermann | News Source: futurism.com

NASA announced Monday that it’s chosen private space station manufacturer Axiom Space to build the first “commercial launch destination” — read: space hotel for the super wealthy — and attach it to the International Space Station. The goal is to help grow an economy in low-Earth orbit, according to NASA.

According to an Axiom Space statement, the startup is planning to “launch a node module, research & manufacturing facility, crew habitat, and large-windowed Earth observatory to form the ‘Axiom Segment’ of the ISS,” starting in the latter half of 2024.

NASA announced on Monday that it has chosen private space station manufacturer Axiom Space to build the first space hotel for the ISS.

Expensive Journey

A ticket to space will likely be atrociously expensive and limit the privilege of a leisurely vacation in orbit to the uber-rich. A ticket will cost upwards of $50 million, according to a 2018 New York Times interview with Axiom CEO Mike Suffredini.

“It’s a bargain!” Suffredini added.

The startup envisions the hotel as a zero gravity-friendly “nest-like cabin”with “unobstructed views of Earth” and “high-bandwidth communications back to home,” according to the company’s website.

Before the ISS is officially retired — a date still under discussion — Axiom Space is planning to switch to its own “large power platform” to house its “Axiom Segment” rather than relying on the ISS, according to the company.