Nasa reveals ‘space home’ where first ISS tourists will enjoy ‘largest Earth window’
SPACE tourists set to holiday aboard the International Space Station will enjoy padded pods and panoramic views of Earth.
Nasa has chosen the start-up that will build the first "private habitat" module for the ISS – revealing concept images and videos of the sci-fi residence.
Last year, Nasa revealed plans to allow tourists to visit the ISS from 2020 onwards.
Until now, the floating space lab had only been accessible to astronauts representing state-level space agencies.
Under the new rules, companies can now take "private astronauts" to the ISS for up to 30 days.
And Nasa has commissioned Houston-based start-up Axiom Space to build the first habitat module for commercial space tourists.
The spaceflight to the ISS will account for a large chunk of the cost. But chief financial officer Jeff DeWit joked: “It won’t come with any Hilton or Marriott points.”
Nasa typically pays around $75million for seats aboard a Soyuz spacecraft destined for the ISS, and even paid $82million per seat in 2015.
However, Nasa says seats aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon and/or Boeing CST-100 capsules will .
It's these capsules that will be used to ferry astronauts up to the ISS – but the cost continues to rise after the journey.
Keeping astronauts on board the ISS is a pricey business.
For instance, the regenerative life support and toilet costs $11,250 (£8,800) per astronaut each day.
And general supplies – like food and air – cost $22,500 (£17,500) per astronaut each day.
Nasa will get around $35,000 (£27,000) per night that a private astronaut spends on board the ISS.
A large bank balance won't be enough either: you'll have to pass Nasa's rigorous health checks and training procedures.
"In the long-term, NASA’s goal is to become one of many customers purchasing services from independent, commercial and free-flying habitable destinations in low-Earth orbit," Nasa explained.
"A robust low-Earth orbit economy will need multiple commercial destinations, and NASA is partnering with industry to pursue dual paths to that objective that either go through the space station or directly to a free-flying destination."
Whatever ends up going into space, it's unlikely to get cheaper any time soon.
Even SpaceX charges $62million (£48.7million) to send commercial satellites into orbit with its relatively new Falcon 9 rocket.
And Axiom Space, a Houston-based company hoping to organise trips to the ISS, has pledged to charge $55million (£43.2million) for a 10-day trip to the ISS.
Bill Gerstenmaier, Nasa’s head of human exploration, told a news conference: “We have no idea what kinds of creativity and literally out-of-the-world ideas can come from private industry.”
But super-rich tourists and filmmakers are also being invited to make use of the experience.
And in a message recorded on the ISS, astronaut Christina Koch said it would make space “more accessible to all Americans”.
Jeff Manbar, the CEO of ISS logistics company Nanoracks, said: “It’s a very important step forward. This is the beginning of a new chapter.”
In other news, Nasa recently lost control of its £2billion Curiosity rover on Mars.
The water that once flowed on Mars contained just the right ingredients to support life, scientists say.
A nearby star we’ve watched for 180 years is mysteriously ‘dimming’, leaving scientists baffled.
And, the first ever cookie has been baked in space.
Would you like to visit the International Space Station? Let us know in the comments!
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