Earthside View or Spaceside View? Insight to the First Space Resort

It was merely only around fifty years ago when man first began traveling to space, learning about the universe that controls our very existence, and walking on the moon. Now, the time is slowly approaching where regular people are going to be able to travel in space. Scientists are currently working on the first space resort to be launched into orbit by the end of 2012.

The mission to do this is called Galactic Suite. Those who want to be the firsts to visit Galactic Suite will have to take an astronaut training lesson to prepare for their journey into space. The journey is said to include orbiting the Earth around 15 times a day, watching the weather change, the sun rise and set, and doing all of this in a world where you are completely without weight.

The Galactic Suite is planning on having activities that include space sports, star gazing, taking pictures of space, and more. There is even an email address (reservations@galacticsuite.com) where you can make reservations to be aboard the first launch of the world's first space resort. However before you go making the reservation, make sure that you have around $4.15 million to pay for it. The first tickets are to go on sale in 2008 and include the 18 week training program and a three night stay.

The company responsible for this is trying to set up the first chain of orbital hotels. When looking at the pictures of the future orbit hotel, it almost looks like a popped piece of popcorn. It's said that the hotel will be three bedrooms and will be launch in individual pods and then connected up in space.

This seems like a great concept, however, how would you shower or even go to the bathroom? Some things are still up in the air and showering is said to be a room where guests will enter and suds of water will drift about. This seems like they have a lot of bugs to work out on this project.

Who is doing the funding for this project; I mean this has to be costing a fortune. The company's founder is a Spanish architect named Xavier Claramunt. Rumors are circling the web about agencies who are concentrating on creating a livable habitat on Mars, others believe that this project could be a utopia. Utopia could be two things...a place that does not exist or a perfect place. Well, we all know that there is no such thing as perfect and as for this Galactic Suite not existing...I guess we will find out in 2012.

I believe that anything is possible, and there is still some time to fix any bugs that may come about as well as do a possible test drive of the idea before actually risking people's lives to orbit in space. I think one thing that the designers have to remember is that regular people just can't become astronauts in 18 weeks. Becoming an astronaut takes years upon years to gain all of the skill and knowledge to survive. But like all technology it has it's surprises and if the brains of NASA find a way to compress that knowledge into 18 weeks, then I wish them luck.

Of course the safety of the people is a big issue, does that four million dollars cover any type of life insurance or guarantee of safety? So far there has been one known test of the rocket that is going to be used for civilian space travel and it exploded in a desert. And I think you also have to take into account of the money that would have to be put into maintaining these hotels. There are tons of space stations and satellites out there in space that need repairs and it's been years since they have seen any attention. Having an orbital hotel is not something that we can put off maintenance to, lives are at stake!

As it stands, calculations have estimated that forty thousand people in the world could afford to stay at this space resort but as for how many of them are willing to spend the four million on a three day space trip is not clear.

In conclusion, I believe that 2012 is a little bit too close for comfort for a massive idea like this to take place. I think we should concentrate on our current space stations that need constant maintenance before sending civilians up into space to spend their leisurely time as well as coming up with the rope to tie up all of those loose ends.