GAZE INTO SPACE

WHILE a number of companies – from Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic to Elon Musk’s SpaceX – are racing towards making commercial space travel a reality, fewer companies are working on what travellers will actually do once they get past the stratosphere.

Enter Orion Span, a US-based start-up that in April announced its plan to build the world’s first space hotel, Aurora Station.

An ambitious launch date of 2021 has been set – with the first wave of guests planned to check in some time the following year.

The station will feature huge windows for guests to fully absorb the views of Earth some 200 miles below, and guests will apparently be able to experience 16 sunrises and sunsets every day. Planned high-speed wifi will also enable guests to video call friends and family back home.