Kicker: An exotic hotel

MARY REICHARD, HOST: If you’re the adventurous sort—and like to plan your vacation ahead of time—here’s something for you. 

A startup company in California is planning to build a one-of-a-kind hotel in an exotic locale. How exotic? Well, here’s a hint…

AUDIO: Scotty, beam me up.

Yup! The Gateway Foundation is planning to build something akin to a cruise ship in outer space. It would accommodate a hundred guests and hundreds of crew members. 

The structure would rotate like a wheel to create artificial gravity. It’d have restaurants, gyms and concert venues. 

If this sounds like science-fiction, company president John Blincow says the core technology already exists at the international space station.  

BLINCOW: We’ve had meetings and consultations with many NASA contractors to inquire about using the same or larger versions of the systems in use right now at ISS.

No word yet on what a stay at that the deluxe space hotel might cost. But you’ve got a little time to save up. The soonest you can book is probably at least eight years away, in 2027. 

BASHAM: I’m going!

REICHARD: It’s The World and Everything in It.

(Photo/Gateway Foundation)

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