Russians Plan Space Hotels for Tourists

Two Russian companies unite for a capitalist venture.
A couple of aerospace companies based in Russia, Orbital Technologies and RSC Energia, are working on making space travel more accessible—to the very rich at least.

The plan is to launch a “commercial space station” (CSS) designed to accommodate tourists, scientific missions, and researchers conducting medical studies. The orbiting facility will features amenities for seven people, ferried to and from the station by Russia’ Soyuz spacecraft. Automated Progress freighters will be used to transport supplies. The CSS will also maintain a close proximity with the International Space Station, to facilitate transfers of personnel and objects between the two.
Backing both companies are decades of claimed experience with former Soviet Union’s space program. RSC has been designing and building space stations for over 40 years. Orbital on the other hand boasts engineers, scientists, and “space industry veterans” who have good ideas about making space travel a more private enterprise.
From a price or timetable standpoint, details remain sparse. Both Orbital and RSC are pushing for a 2016 launch at latest, while the cost for a ride to the CSS will depend “on launch vehicle, duration and purpose of missions.

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