Tim Alatorre, senior design architect of the Voyager Station told deZeen.com, "Eventually, going to space will just be another option people will pick for their vacation, just like going on a cruise, or going to Disney World. Because the overall costs are still so high most people assume that space tourism will only be available to the super rich, and while I think this will be true for the next several years, the Gateway Foundation has a goal of making space travel open to everyone."
As space travel and orbital launches become commonplace in our society, Alatorre thinks we might be missing the bigger picture when it comes to humans taking their place among the stars. Unlike the utilitarian designs we have become accustomed to, the Gateway Foundation is taking a much more human, and long term approach to off world habitation.
Concept art depicting segregated modules
and shuttle docking.
Describing how the station might remind someone of an upscale office building rather than a sterile laboratory environment Alatorre stated, “The (Voyager) Station is designed with 24 modules, each with up to 500 square meters of floor area. Each of these modules will have a different dedicated function. Several are dedicated to common areas such as the bars, restaurants, recreation areas, and mechanical systems. A few modules will be for the hotel functions and private residences. Other modules will be sold or rented to governments and scientific bodies for research and development. Because each module is independent the station functions like a small community or business park, drawing on common resources while maintaining privacy and security. There has never been a low-gravity research facility in space so we feel the research component is critical. Likewise, allowing for true space tourism will make the station financially self-sufficient and drive innovation and public policy in ways never before seen. Both research and tourism are key to making long-term space habitation a reality.”
When pressed about the technical and mechanical realities of getting a project of this scope and scale to fruition, Alatorre is quick to give it up to those that have, and continue to, pave the way. Reflecting on this he said, “None of what we are proposing would be possible without the development and research done for the ISS. We are using current technology
Concept art depicting habitational areas in all subsystems to minimize both cost and development schedule impacts."
With a lot of the technological and design work already done, the team had the benefit of not only seeing what was used, but also how. In planning the construction phases Alatorre pointed out some key differences in how this construction would be completed.
Speaking again with deZeen.com he said, “One major difference between the (Voyager) Station and the ISS is the way it will be constructed. The ISS was assembled in orbit using the manual labor of astronauts performing risky extra vehicular space walks. Although some large components of the Sation, such as the habitation modules, will be fabricated on Earth, the main structure will be primarily fabricated in space by automated and semi-autonomous systems. Materials will be sent to orbit in much smaller component parts and then positioned, welded, and assembled using drones, robots, single-person pods, and a space construction machine being developed by Orbital Construction called the GSAL. This is actually the most important part, because we will learn how to build massive structures in space from what we learn building the (Voyager) Station. The shielding technology, module designs, energy-management systems, water and air processing systems, as well as overall architecture are heavily influenced by the ISS.”
While many will be interested in the scientific and geopolitical implications of a facet of society existing outside of our atmosphere, for a lot of people, space tourism is the spark that lights their imagination, and Alatorre expresses a deep commitment to the station as a place to celebrate, even beyond it's location.
Alatorre described his feeling on the overall aesthetic saying, “In the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey, Stanley Kubrick's Space Station 5 is a sterile, white, museum-like hotel. While it made for a clearly futuristic feeling in the movie, in reality, it wasn't a very inviting space. As humans, we innately connect to natural materials and colors. Developments in material science now allow for lightweight, easily cleanable natural material substitutes for stone and wood that would normally not be feasible to bring into orbit. The use of fabrics, warm-colored lighting and paints, and materials with texture, all help us to connect and feel at home. Because the station will have gravity there will be sense of direction and orientation that isn't present in the ISS. Additional cues using lighting and materials will help to "ground" the occupants. The majority of the station will initially have approximately a sixth of Earth's gravity and other parts will have near zero gravity. The opportunities for what can be done on the station are really exciting. We've thought of a number of things but we are sure that new sports, products and companies will be developed to allow for things we haven't dreamed of. Some of the planned-for activities are playing in the zero-gravity central hub, low-gravity basketball, low-gravity trampolining and rock climbing. Tom Spilker, the station's lead engineer, came up with a game that involves running all the way around the curved walls and ceiling of the gym. Also, there is potential for playing fictional games such as Quidditch from the Harry Potter series and the battle games from the Ender's Game series.
There will also be many of the things you see on cruise ships: restaurants, bars, musical concerts, movie screenings, and educational seminars. Eventually, we plan on offering excursions in true space ships (not designed to return to Earth) out to other stations or the moon.”
While the self imposed deadlines might seem ambitious, Tim Alatorre is convinced that they are realistic and that their organization is right on schedule.
Would you be willing to pay for a vacation in space? Let us know what you think in the comments below!
WRITTEN AND EDITED BY Silek
