For centuries, human beings have dreamed of traveling into space, orbiting(围绕……运行) our little blue planet, and appreciating incredible views of sunrises and sunsets. And soon, it seems that our dream will finally come true, as US startup Orion Span announced on April 6 that it planned to launch the first hotel in space this year. It will be ready to welcome guests the following year.
The space hotel, Aurora Station, will orbit 320 kilometers above Earth, circling it every 90minutes. It's capable of housing two crew members and four guests. The crew members will likely be former NASA astronauts who worked on the International Space Station. However, there's a catch: Each, guest must pay at least $9.5 million (60 million yuan) for a 12-day stay at the hotel
Once aboard the Aurora Station, guests will find many exciting things to do. According to Orion Span, guests can enjoy the excitement of zero-gravity as they fly throughout the space hotel They can watch 16 sunrises and sunsets every day and view the northern and southern auroras (极光)through the many windows. They can take part in research experiments like growing food and even take it home as a souvenir. And they can stay in touch with their families and friends via a high-speed internet connection.
But most importantly, the trip will offer a real sense of what it's like to live in space. "The premise (前提) of Aurora Station is for guests to live, feel, and breathe what it's like to be an astronaut, "Frank Bunger, founder of Orion Span, told the Robb Report. "The food and drinks are freeze-dried products. It's not going to be five-star dining. Fire and gas don't work the same way in space as they do on Earth. "
To better prepare guests for space travel the company will require a health screening and provide a three-month training program that helps guests understand basic spaceflight, orbital mechanics(轨道力学) and life in the pressurized environment of space. Some may have doubts about the project, but the company even has plans to turn part of Aurora Station into private apartments. "Future Aurora owners can live in, visit, or sublease(转租) their space apartment, "Bunger said in a news release. "This is an exciting frontier and Orion Span is proud to pave the way."
