'First luxury hotel in space' to offer 16 sunrises a day

CALIFORNIA: A company has announced what it's calling the world's first luxury hotel in space.

Orion Span made the announcement at the Space 2.0 Summit in San Jose, California on Thursday (April 05), unveiling their plans for "Aurora Station."

Scheduled to welcome its first guests in 2022, Aurora is a planned modular space station, capable of hosting six people at a time.

The hotel will orbit Earth every 90 minutes, which means guests will see around 16 sunrises and sunsets every 24 hours.



The stay doesn't come cheap; the 12-day adventure costs 9.5 million dollars per person. Orion Span has already started taking reservations with an $80,000 deposit.

Before taking off, guests are required to complete a three-month training course, part online, part at the company's facility in Houston, Texas.

According to Orion Span, guests will be able take part in "research experiments such as growing food while in orbit" and keep touch with people on Earth via high-speed Internet.



The hotel will also be equipped with a virtual reality "holodeck".

"Arriving at Aurora Station on a partner spaceflight, you'll be warmly greeted with an experience that blows your mind," reads a statement on the Orion Span website.

"Every 90 minutes we complete an orbit, meaning you'll see day and night over Earth hundreds of times during your 12-day stay, with ample opportunity to photograph your hometown from space."