Would You Stay in a Space Hotel?

Dear Henry,

If I had $9.5 million, I would book a trip to Aurora Station in a heartbeat. Space travel is something that few people get to experience. In fact, only 556 people have ever gone to space. By staying in this hotel, I’d be adding myself to an exclusive list of people who have done something truly extraordinary. I’d become part of history forever!

According to Orion Span’s website, guests will enjoy the “authentic astronaut experience.” That means getting strapped into a rocket and blasted into space at about 17,500 miles an hour, experiencing low gravity, eating space food, and conducting scientific experiments. How incredible!

And just imagine what it would be like to see Earth from space: our blue planet, lit up by the sun, against the dark, star-dotted expanse of space. I get chills just thinking about it. Plus, many astronauts have said that seeing Earth from space made them appreciate our planet in a deeper way. For example, Yuri Gagarin, the first human to fly in space, once said, “Circling the Earth . . . I marveled at the beauty of our planet. People of the world, let us safeguard and enhance this beauty—not destroy it.” This trip would be more than a wild adventure; it would help me become a better citizen of the world.

And the best part? I would get this once-in-a-lifetime experience without going through the years of intense schooling and rigorous training that it takes to become a professional astronaut. (It would also help me decide if I really want to become an astronaut one day.) Of course, there is a reason that astronauts go through so much training: Space travel is dangerous. But guests of Aurora Station will complete three months of training before their trip. Plus, there will be two highly trained crew members, likely former astronauts, to keep guests safe.

I know $9.5 million is a lot of money, but for the many reasons I’ve just explained, I think this trip would be more than worth it.

Your adventurous friend,

Liza

Dear Liza,

You’re one of my best friends and you know I think you’re awesome, but paying millions of dollars to stay in a space hotel is a terrible idea. Let me tell you why.

First of all, as you point out, space travel is dangerous. Sure, the crew on Aurora will likely include former astronauts, but even with the most highly trained crew, any number of things could go wrong. A guest could get sick and need medical attention, a piece of equipment could break, or the hotel could get hit by flying space debris.

Yes, Aurora guests will receive training, but three months hardly seems like enough time. Astronauts train for years before going to space, and tragedies still happen. Over the past 50 years, 18 astronauts have died on missions. Are you really willing to risk your life for a vacation?

That being said, I agree that a trip to space would provide experiences that you couldn’t get anywhere else. But I don’t think it would end up being the dazzling vacation that you’re envisioning. The hotel will be only about 35 feet long and 12 feet wide and will hold just six people at a time. That’s not much room for everyone to sleep, eat, and use the bathroom for almost two weeks! Don’t you think you’d be uncomfortable? If you hated it, it’s not like you could just call your mom to come pick you up.

On top of that, I don’t think it would be right to spend so much money on something as frivolous as a vacation or to become famous. Think what you could do for the world with $9.5 million. You could send yourself and hundreds of others to college. You could pay for seven lifesaving heart transplants. You could feed thousands of people—and probably still have enough to take an amazing trip anywhere on Earth.

I’m sure going to space would be exciting, but in the end, I don’t think you’d find it was worth it.

Your practical friend,

Henry