Raise your hands if you, like us, wanted to the be part of the Star Trek adventures every time the title track voice over said, “Space: the final frontier. These are the voyages of the star ship Enterprise. Its continuing mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilisations, to boldly go where no one has gone before.”
Well, we might not quite be ready to meet the Vulcans or the Klingons yet, but we are definitely ready to make space the frontier for tourism. If you are looking for places to stay on the Milk Way, here is an option that can soon be your view to the vast expanse of Space.
AxStation
The US$2 billion project is being steered by Axiom Space, co-founded by NASA’s former International Space Station (ISS) manager Michael Suffredini. AxStation will in its first phase be a crew module to the International Space Station by 2024 and then expand from there to create at least two other modules, including a laboratory/manufacturing facility and a panoramic observatory.
Since it will be both a commercial as well as tourist destination, Axiom has kitted the crew module accommodation out with luxurious interiors designed by none other than the great Philippe Starck. So, what can you expect? The egg-like structure offers the comfort of plush padded walls and furnishings, colour-changing LEDs and of course panoramic views of Earth as you orbit 250 miles above its surface and travel over 17,000 miles per hour.
You will have to go through 15 weeks training before you hop aboard the AxStation. According to Robb Report, seats are said to cost around US$55 million and guess who might have made it on board? Yes, Tom Cruise, who is said to be planning the first film in space. Mission Impossible 10 – 11 – 12, anyone?
