A company has started bookings for a hotel on the moon, although the project is at the concept level. How much does it cost to secure your place?
An American company, GRU Space, has announced that it has begun accepting reservations for a hotel on the moon, although the project is currently only in the conceptual phase and the necessary infrastructure does not exist.
Reservations are being made for a hotel on the Moon, although the project does not exist now. PHOTO: Shutterstock
The amounts requested for the so-called reservations range from $250,000 to $1 million. These are not actual tickets, but rather deposits or financial contributions intended to support the development of the company, according to the publication Interesting Engineering.
GRU Space did not provide an exact timetable for the launch of the project, but claims that the first test missions could take place in 2029–2030, and the first guests could arrive on the moon after 2032, if the plans are followed.
According to the company, the lunar hotel would consist of inflatable habitats, inspired by concepts previously developed by NASA and Bigelow Aerospace.
These structures would be designed to withstand radiation, micrometeorites and extreme temperature variations. Afterwards, they would be covered with lunar regolith – dust from the surface of the Moon – for extra protection.
Tourist access would be via lunar vehicles operated by other companies in the space industry.
Although the idea seems futuristic, some of the proposed technologies are already being studied or tested. Inflatable habitats have been tested before, and the use of lunar regolith as a construction material has been studied for years in space research.
GRU Space says it plans to take a gradual path from robotic to manned missions.
However, the project raises many questions. Currently, there is no functioning lunar tourism industry, no regular manned missions to the Moon are available, and essential infrastructure such as rescue systems, medical evacuation, communications, or insurance personnel are lacking.
Experts point out that even the big space agencies, such as NASA – which benefit from substantial funding and decades of experience – have not yet managed to establish a permanent base on the Moon. In this context, the timetable proposed by GRU Space is considered extremely ambitious.
Also, the reservation model has aroused skepticism among analysts, being perceived more as a method of promoting and testing the public interest than as a concrete operating plan.
The company currently has no rockets, launch modules, life support systems, or regulatory approvals, and the terms of the refund are unclear.
