Galactic Suite
Encyclopedia
Galactic Suite Design is an aerospace design company based in Barcelona
, Spain
. The company develops concepts, design and interiors of habitats and vehicles. The project that first brought the company into the public eye was the Galactic Suite Space Resort, which intends to develop a private small space station
at LEO, the orbital segment of a space tourism experience, which will also include intensive training on a tropical island.. Galactic Suite Design has been involved with other space related projects including the Google Lunar X Prize
.
company with the goal of colonising Mars assisted in some of the early stages of the project, and discussions with additional private investors from Japan
, the United States
and the United Arab Emirates
are reportedly underway.
for sticking to the module walls, similar to its use in the film 2001: A Space Odyssey
. The station would orbit the Earth once every 90 minutes, providing 16 day-and-night cycles every 24 hours.
The company stated that a three-day stay would cost per customer. Company studies found that 40,000 people worldwide were capable of affording such a stay. This complete space tourism
experience will also include the design of a "James Bond-style astronaut training" center and spaceport which will be based in the Caribbean. The spaceport would also house a new launch system built with safety and the environment in mind.
would be the contractor in charge of building the modules and other equipment.. In November 2010, the company announced that a first phase would bring into orbit a single modified ATV module for a cost of , while a second phase would increase the total number of modules up to four in a cross configuration.
), Mark Homnick (4Frontiers
) and Juan de Dalmau (Centro Tecnológico para la Industria Aeronáutica y del Espacio
) have expressed skepticism about the project, raising concerns that Galactic Suite will be unable to meet the 2012 goal because no hardware has been built and tested. The stated investment to the company is an issue since it has not revealed the identity of its investor. The investment might fall short of covering all the project's needs; for example, the suborbital shuttle proposed by EADS Astrium would cost , and the transformation of ESA's
Automated Transfer Vehicle
into a craft capable of transporting people to space and return them safely to Earth would cost around . However, the Galactic Suite Space Resort is a space station and does not need reentry
capabilities, which would considerably reduce its development cost.
Despite Claramunt claiming in 2008 that EADS Astrium was building the station modules, Astrium denied any knowledge of the project. They would later recognise the project as a space hotel currently undergoing development by Galactic Suite Design. In September 2010, Galactic Suite presented the status of its project based on ATV technologies at the International Astronautical Congress
(IAC).
through a filial company, Galactic Suite Moon Race, which leads the Barcelona Moon Team, 21st official candidate to the GLXP. The team is a multidisciplinary joint venture bringing together Spanish entrepreneurial, industrial and academic capabilities. The team also includes the Centre of Aerospace Technology in Barcelona (CTAE
), the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC) or the international engineering advisory firm Altran
. BMT wants to promote a widening involvement of private initiative in the development of space technology and industry, also including sectors such as exploration and tourism.
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. The company develops concepts, design and interiors of habitats and vehicles. The project that first brought the company into the public eye was the Galactic Suite Space Resort, which intends to develop a private small space station
Space station
A space station is a spacecraft capable of supporting a crew which is designed to remain in space for an extended period of time, and to which other spacecraft can dock. A space station is distinguished from other spacecraft used for human spaceflight by its lack of major propulsion or landing...
at LEO, the orbital segment of a space tourism experience, which will also include intensive training on a tropical island.. Galactic Suite Design has been involved with other space related projects including the Google Lunar X Prize
Google Lunar X Prize
The Google Lunar X PRIZE, abbreviated GLXP, sometimes referred to as Moon 2.0, is a space competition organized by the X Prize Foundation, and sponsored by Google. It was announced at the Wired Nextfest on 13 September 2007...
.
History
The space station began as a hobby for Xavier Claramunt, architect and director of Galactic Suite Design. The Galactic Suite Space Resort entered development after an unnamed space enthusiast invested to build it. An AmericanUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
company with the goal of colonising Mars assisted in some of the early stages of the project, and discussions with additional private investors from Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and the United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
are reportedly underway.
Early design stage and customer experience
The earlier stages of the Galactic Suite Space Resort design called for a central hub with a dozen modules radiating outwards, providing an indefinite number of bedrooms for several customers at a time. Claramunt said that while it would be a challenge to design a bathroom that works in microgravity, showers might be taken in a spa room with bubbles of floating water. The issue of moving around in space would be solved by having guests wear suits of VelcroVelcro
Velcro is the brand name of the first commercially marketed fabric hook-and-loop fastener, invented in 1948 by the Swiss electrical engineer George de Mestral...
for sticking to the module walls, similar to its use in the film 2001: A Space Odyssey
2001: A Space Odyssey (film)
2001: A Space Odyssey is a 1968 epic science fiction film produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick, and co-written by Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke, partially inspired by Clarke's short story The Sentinel...
. The station would orbit the Earth once every 90 minutes, providing 16 day-and-night cycles every 24 hours.
The company stated that a three-day stay would cost per customer. Company studies found that 40,000 people worldwide were capable of affording such a stay. This complete space tourism
Space tourism
Space Tourism is space travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. A number of startup companies have sprung up in recent years, hoping to create a space tourism industry...
experience will also include the design of a "James Bond-style astronaut training" center and spaceport which will be based in the Caribbean. The spaceport would also house a new launch system built with safety and the environment in mind.
Further development
, Claramunt stated then that construction of the station would begin in October 2008, and that European company EADS AstriumEADS Astrium
Astrium Satellites is one of the three business units of Astrium, a subsidiary of EADS. It is a European space manufacturer involved in the manufacture of spacecraft used for science, Earth observation and telecommunication, as well as the equipment and subsystems used therein and related ground...
would be the contractor in charge of building the modules and other equipment.. In November 2010, the company announced that a first phase would bring into orbit a single modified ATV module for a cost of , while a second phase would increase the total number of modules up to four in a cross configuration.
Criticism
Some experts, including Thomas Bouvet (International Astronautical FederationInternational Astronautical Federation
International Astronautical Federation , the world's foremost space advocacy organisation, is based in Paris. It was founded in 1951 as a non-governmental organization. It has 206 members from 58 countries across the world. They are drawn from space agencies, industry, professional associations,...
), Mark Homnick (4Frontiers
4Frontiers Corporation
- Organization :The company is presently headquartered in New Port Richey, Florida, and has three employees. The majority of work is completed by contractors, consultants, and interns...
) and Juan de Dalmau (Centro Tecnológico para la Industria Aeronáutica y del Espacio
Centro Tecnológico para la Industria Aeronáutica y del Espacio
Centro Tecnológico para la Industria Aeronáutica y del Espacio , was established in Catalonia in 2004 for research into, and commercial development of, applications and services relating to the Galileo GPS system....
) have expressed skepticism about the project, raising concerns that Galactic Suite will be unable to meet the 2012 goal because no hardware has been built and tested. The stated investment to the company is an issue since it has not revealed the identity of its investor. The investment might fall short of covering all the project's needs; for example, the suborbital shuttle proposed by EADS Astrium would cost , and the transformation of ESA's
European Space Agency
The European Space Agency , established in 1975, is an intergovernmental organisation dedicated to the exploration of space, currently with 18 member states...
Automated Transfer Vehicle
Automated Transfer Vehicle
The Automated Transfer Vehicle or ATV is an expendable, unmanned resupply spacecraft developed by the European Space Agency . ATVs are designed to supply the International Space Station with propellant, water, air, payload and experiments...
into a craft capable of transporting people to space and return them safely to Earth would cost around . However, the Galactic Suite Space Resort is a space station and does not need reentry
Reentry
Reentry can have several meanings:* Atmospheric reentry, the movement of human-made or natural objects as they enter the atmosphere of a planet from outer space** Ballistic reentry** Skip reentry...
capabilities, which would considerably reduce its development cost.
Despite Claramunt claiming in 2008 that EADS Astrium was building the station modules, Astrium denied any knowledge of the project. They would later recognise the project as a space hotel currently undergoing development by Galactic Suite Design. In September 2010, Galactic Suite presented the status of its project based on ATV technologies at the International Astronautical Congress
International Astronautical Congress
Every year, the International Astronautical Federation together with the International Academy of Astronautics and the International Institute of Space Law , holds the International Astronautical Congress which is hosted by one of the national society members of the IAF.They are an annual meeting...
(IAC).
Galactic Suite Moon Race, a GLXP venture
Galactic Suite Design also got involved in the Google Lunar X PRIZEGoogle Lunar X Prize
The Google Lunar X PRIZE, abbreviated GLXP, sometimes referred to as Moon 2.0, is a space competition organized by the X Prize Foundation, and sponsored by Google. It was announced at the Wired Nextfest on 13 September 2007...
through a filial company, Galactic Suite Moon Race, which leads the Barcelona Moon Team, 21st official candidate to the GLXP. The team is a multidisciplinary joint venture bringing together Spanish entrepreneurial, industrial and academic capabilities. The team also includes the Centre of Aerospace Technology in Barcelona (CTAE
Centre de Technologia Aerospacial
The Centre Tecnològic per a la Indústria Aeronàutica i de l’Espai , was founded in March 2005 as a non-profit private foundation by academia, government and industry in the region of Catalonia, Spain.CTAE is committed to boost the aeronautical and space sector in Catalonia, with a mission to...
), the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC) or the international engineering advisory firm Altran
Altran
Altran Technologies, SA is a European consulting firm founded in 1982 in France. Altran, self dubbed the European leader in high technology and innovation consultancy, operates primarily in technology and innovation consultancy, accounting for nearly half of its turnover...
. BMT wants to promote a widening involvement of private initiative in the development of space technology and industry, also including sectors such as exploration and tourism.