Hilton has become the official hotel partner with Voyager Space Holdings. Voyager’s planned free-flying commercial space station and Hilton will design the communal spaces and crew accommodations on the private space station in low-Earth orbit (LEO) called Starlab.
The complex was announced in 2021, but partners are not announced. Voyager Space Holdings and Lockheed Martin have currently underdeveloped the project.
Hilton is not as far from space research as we thought; they’re the first hospitality company to participate in research on the International Space Station2020. Also, in January 2020, DoubleTree by Hilton chocolate chip cookies became the first food to be baked in space.
Hilton will collaborate with Voyager to generate the potential for marketing the space station and astronaut experiences onboard and create hospitality rooms, sleeping configurations, public areas, and crew offices.
“Hilton will bring the company’s renowned hospitality expertise and experience to support the design and development of crew suites aboard Starlab, helping to reimagine the human experience in space, making extended stays more comfortable,” officials said in the press release.
In 2021, NASA supported Voyager and its operational firm, Nanoracks, with $160 million. The Starlab Space Station is one of four space stations developed by American firms to replace the International Space Station in 2030.
The Starlab research and design (also the partnership with Hilton) effort might lead to breakthroughs in sustainability and higher design efficiency for future hotels in space and on Earth.
The project is also important regarding the planned space tourism and travel projects. Chairman and CEO of Voyager Space, Dylan Taylor, said in a press release, “Voyager and Hilton are acutely focused on creating innovative solutions for the future of humanity, and this partnership opens new doors to what is possible for comfort-focused space exploration and habitation.”
According to Hilton CEO Christopher Nassetta, “For decades, discoveries in space have been positively impacting life on Earth, and now Hilton will have an opportunity to use this unique environment to improve the guest experience wherever people travel. This landmark collaboration underscores our deep commitment to spreading the light and warmth of hospitality and providing a friendly, reliable stay – whether on the ground or in outer space.”
