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Blast Off to a Luxury Hotel in Space (for $9.5 Million)

A company called Orion Span wants to take you on a 12-day journey 200 miles above the Earth's surface to Aurora Station, what it's calling 'the first luxury hotel in space.'

 & Angela Moscaritolo Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

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Do you have an adventurous spirit and some serious money to burn? A company called Orion Span wants to organize your next vacation—to outer space.

Connected TravelerFor just $9.5 million, Orion Span will take you on a 12-day journey 200 miles above the Earth's surface to Aurora Station, what it's calling "the first luxury hotel in space." The company expects to open the hotel in late 2021 and host its first guests in 2022. When operational, the hotel will host six people at a time, including two crew members.

"During their stay … travelers will enjoy the exhilaration of zero gravity and fly freely throughout Aurora Station, gaze at the northern and southern aurora through the many windows, soar over their hometowns, take part in research experiments such as growing food while in orbit (which they can take home with them as the ultimate souvenir), revel in a virtual reality experience on the holodeck, and stay in touch or live stream with their loved ones back home via high-speed wireless Internet access," Orion Span teased in a news release.

And what would a luxury hotel be without an insane view? Aurora Station promises "stunning" views of your home planet.

"The hotel will orbit Earth every 90 minutes, meaning those aboard will see an average of 16 sunrises and sunsets every 24 hours," the company wrote.

Interested? Orion Span is accepting deposits for those wishing to book their stay. The "fully refundable deposit" will set you back $80,000.

Before embarking on your journey to space, you'll go through a three-month certification program. The first phase will be completed online, then you'll head to the company's Houston facility for in-person training.

While almost $10 million puts this experience well out of reach for most people, Orion Span says it's "a fraction of the cost" of other avenues to space.

Orion Span's ambitions don't end with operating a luxury hotel in space. "We will later sell dedicated modules as the world's first condominiums in space," CEO and Founder Frank Bunger said in a statement. "Future Aurora owners can live in, visit, or sublease their space condo."

Meanwhile, another company trying to make space tourism a thing, Virgin Galactic, recently completed the first "supersonic, rocket-powered flight" of its Unity spacecraft. According to CNBC, it was the company's first powered flight since 2014's fatal Spaceship Enterprise crash.

About Our Expert

Angela Moscaritolo

Angela Moscaritolo

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

My Experience

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade. 

Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The Technology I Use

My little Florida beach bungalow is brimming with smart home tech. I have a smart speaker or display in every room, allowing me to control other connected devices by voice. The Nest Hub on my bedside table lets me set wake-up alarms, control my smart light bulbs, and set the temperature on my smart thermostat. I use the Amazon Echo Show 8 on my kitchen counter to browse recipes, reorder protein powder, check the weather, and watch the news while I do dishes. 

Because I suffer from allergies, air purifiers are essential. My favorite model is the Dyson Purifier Cool TP07, which doubles as a fan and continuously sends indoor pollution data to its companion mobile app. 

My pitbull Bradley sheds, so a good robot vacuum is a must. I currently use a premium Ecovacs Deebot that can both vacuum and mop, empty its own dustbin, and wash its own mop cloth. 

For fitness, I like to mix up my routine with cycling, indoor rowing, running, and strength training in addition to yoga. I take classes on the Tonal 2 smart strength training machine, I row indoors on an Aviron machine, and track my beach runs with an Apple Watch while listening to music on my Apple AirPods Pro. On the weekends, I love riding e-bikes like the rugged, beach-friendly Aventon Aventure for fun and fitness.

My job involves a lot of virtual meetings, so a quality webcam, microphone, and ring light are important. I use the Jabra PanaCast 20 webcam, the Elgato Wave: 3 microphone, and a Yesker tripod ring light. 

As for my preferred phone platform, I'm an iPhone person, but I've also extensively used Android for product testing.

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