It could house both space agencies and a Hilton space hotel.
Rotating Space Station
Welcome on board the Von Braun Rotating Space Station.
At least, that's what the Gateway Foundation is envisioning. Dreamed up by former pilot John Blincow and retired Jet Propulsion Laboratory mission architect Tom Spilker, the station would allow for both low-gravity scientific experiments conducted by national space agencies and space tourism.
In a slick new video posted to YouTube, the Foundation shows off its ambitious plans — including a render of a Hilton space hotel module.
Big Dreams
The Spaceport is a futuristic vision of what it would be like to visit a massive off world spaceport — even if you're just headed up for a brief holiday to space.
"It will allow us to take our first steps toward colonizing the Moon, Mars, and ultimately, will usher in a new age of exploration as we travel throughout our solar system and discover what lies beyond," reads the Foundation's official website.
Since it rotates, the Gateway can simulate varying degrees of gravity. For instance, a Hub that houses administration, storage, and other important elements of the spaceport could simulate lunar gravity for both tourists and scientific purposes. Five gates form a transport hub allowing shuttles from Earth or the Moon to dock to the Gateway.
Questions
But will it ever be built? The Foundation is offering a Gateway "membership" as part of a lottery system.
In return for a yearly contribution — there is a free basic tier — the Foundation is offering up "informative emails," "event discounts," and a chance to win a free trip to the Gateway. At least, that's if it ever gets built.
It's an extremely ambitious project that is going to require astronomical amounts of funding to ever stand a chance of being built. But it also shows how passionate people are to finally get a chance to travel to space during their lifetime.
READ MORE: SpaceX Starship and The Von Braun Rotating Space Station [YouTube]
More on space gateways: NASA Wants Its Deep Space Gateway Habitat To Orbit The Moon By 2024
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