Thirty-eight people make reservations for space hotel

August, Last year we brought you the story of the Galactic Suite Project, a planned luxury resort holiday in space where guests will experience all the wonders of inter-galactic travel including weightlessness, meditative conditions and amazing views of Planet Earth.

Thirty eight travelers have already made reservations for the first flight which is scheduled for 2012. The journey of four days at a distance of 300 miles (450 kilometers) from the earth will cost each guest €3 million, that’s about USD $4.46 million. The price may seem steep but it includes transport to an island in the Caribbean, an eighteen week intensive astronaut training program prior to the journey, and of course, the four days in space. Guests are also welcome to bring their families to the island.

"Tourists come to the hotel with all the necessary items to stay, as if they were staying at the most extreme refuge on earth", explained the founder and director of Galactic Suite, Xavier Claramunt. "This refuge will offer a mixed programme of reflection and exercise to seize the unique physical conditions encountered in space".

The space launch system is designed to maximize security and minimize the impact on the environment and take-off. The spacecraft will accelerate 620 mph (1000 kph) in less than 20 seconds and once it reaches the speed of sound will separate from the accelerator and will reach orbit using its rocket engine.

Organizers have already started work on an itinerary for the space journey and guests can look forward to days of star-gazing, floating weightlessly, watching screens for information about the position and speed of the hotel or searching for geographical areas on Planet Earth through the windows. If they get tired of floating, special Velcro areas will allow them to stay still for a period of time.

Once in orbit, guests will have the opportunity to address the media and speak to their loved ones at home. The hotel will also provide special cameras for guests to capture the spectacular scenery surrounding them and they will be able send the images back to earth for their families to see. The position of the spacecraft will allow for one revolution of the earth every 80 minutes so no doubt there will be some amazing scenery to film.

The team of engineers and architects of Galactic Suite have also designed the first spa in space, a bathroom module with zero gravity. The spa is a transparent sphere where guests can float and where for fun, a bubble filled with 20 liters of water can be played with and divided into thousands of smaller bubbles. Travelers can also maintain their fitness on special exercise bikes.

On the final day, guests will be returned to Earth, re-entering the atmosphere in truly supersonic conditions. Certainly sounds like an out-of-this-world experience!

See the Galactic Suite sitefor more details.