The Moon prepares to receive its first space tourists

California startup GRU Space has announced ambitious plans to create the first lunar hotels with the prospect of welcoming space tourists by 2032.

Information about the innovative project is presented on the company's official website.

GRU Space argues that their bold intentions are realistic due to the significant reduction in space launch costs in recent years thanks to SpaceX's technological breakthrough. The company predicts further cost reduction for orbital payload delivery amid increasing competition between Blue Origin, SpaceX, and a growing number of international startups developing reusable launch vehicles. The project developers also note the emerging trend of space tourism among wealthy clients who are willing to invest in unique ultra-premium experiences, opportunities for which are gradually being exhausted on Earth.

"Our clients will undertake space travel on certified commercial vehicles operated by providers such as SpaceX or Blue Origin, while GRU will take responsibility for coordinating the flight program and all operations on the lunar surface. We will ensure adaptation of the training process and medical examination to the partner's standards, mission preparation, detailed flight planning, and comprehensive insurance against unforeseen situations, guaranteeing clients a flawless experience traveling to the Moon and back," company representatives state.

In the initial stage of the project implementation, hotels will be delivered to the Moon with tourists in the form of inflatable modules designed to accommodate two to four people. With the organization of three annual missions, the cost per space traveler will be $416,000, the company claims. In the future, they plan to construct more advanced structures using both Earth and lunar materials. These futuristic hotels, architecturally inspired by the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco, will be able to accommodate up to 10 guests simultaneously, while the cost of space travel may decrease to $83,000. Test flights to develop key technologies are already planned for 2029 and 2031.

GRU Space (full name - Galactic Resource Utilization Space) was founded by Skyler Chan, a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley. According to the science and technology portal ArsTechnica, the project has received financial support from the famous business incubator Y Combinator, although the exact amount of investment has not been disclosed. The official GRU Space website is already accepting preliminary applications for participation in future lunar missions, with a booking cost of $1,000.