Inspiration

Outer Space Will Be 2030's Hottest Travel Destination

Once there are settlements on the moon, will hotels be next?
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Some of us may have moved on from our dream of being an astronaut when we grow up, but that doesn’t mean we can hide our excitement about the latest advancements in space travel. In early 2015, 100 people won the chance to be the first non-astronauts on Mars One’s one-way trip to colonize the red planet, planned for 2025. In mid-December, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket launched into orbit and later, more importantly, landed safely in Cape Canaveral. Creating a reusable rocket like the Falcon 9, which can launch multiple spacecrafts instead of needing new rockets for each trip, means lower costs for space tourism and more feasibility for a trip to Mars for those lucky 100 winners. And taking it one step further were researchers atop Hawaii’s Mauna Loa recently finished an eight-month stay inside a dome to prepare for the conditions that would be created if humans actually lived on Mars.

The next step on the journey to Mars is well underway. The European Space Agency plans to build a permanent pit stop on the moon, a hotel for astronauts and scientist on their way to Mars. Built by giant 3D printers and lunar materials to create a stone like substance, the village would be a combination of domes and fueling stations for Mars Missions. The ESA plans to begin construction between 2020 and 2030.

We’re calling it now, everyone. The Conde Nast Traveler-recommended top place to visit in 2035 will be outer space. Now if only we could convince a few star chefs to start working solely in anti-gravity conditions...