Moon hotel startup hopes you get lunar lunacy, drop $1M deposit for 2032 stay

Everest has been turned into a run-of-the-mill tourist attraction. Space tourism is over now that any celebrity can blast off into orbit. Next up: a hotel on the Moon, now taking reservations for only about six years from now, if you're willing to make a small deposit. For the low, low deposit cost of either $250,000 or $1 …

[Little Mouse]

That moon regolith is nasty, sharp stuff

I don't think I'd be trusting anything inflatable on the moon to stay un-popped for very long.

[DS999]

Re: That moon regolith is nasty, sharp stuff

Yes its sharp but there is no wind to kick it up, and the pieces are tiny. Unless you do something that puts dust on it and there is something that constantly rubs that dust I don't see how you could make a hole.

I think inflatable is stupid because of radiation. Even in a crater shadow you are exposed to interstellar radiation (plus an inflatable anything at such cold temperatures isn't going to do that well) You want your lunar hotel in a lava tube, or man made tunnel, so you have a few meters of regolith protecting you from the radiation.

[vtcodger]

Re: That moon regolith is nasty, sharp stuff

I expect you're correct about radiation -- at least for long term stays. Inflatable? I'm not so sure. No atmosphere, zero humidity, and lunar regolith is said to be a lousy thermal conductor. The only ways to lose heat are via radiation and conduction thru that regolith. I wouldn't be surprised that an inflatable structure built of low emissivity material could remain flexible enough to inflate for hours, days, maybe weeks or months.

All moot of course. This is a whacky concept even by current concepts of what is realistically achievable (which seem to me to be quite bizarre).

[Jellied Eel]

Re: That moon regolith is nasty, sharp stuff

Yes its sharp but there is no wind to kick it up, and the pieces are tiny.

Ah, but there will be wind-equivalents. Like dust plumes kicked up by landing (or falling) Starships. And the dust is really abrasive given the lack of wind & water to weather it.

I think inflatable is stupid because of radiation. Even in a crater shadow you are exposed to interstellar radiation (plus an inflatable anything at such cold temperatures isn't going to do that well) You want your lunar hotel in a lava tube, or man made tunnel, so you have a few meters of regolith protecting you from the radiation.

I think there are many levels of stupid, or 'forward looking statements' that have to be solved before any influencer could flog OnlyClangers videos from the Moon. Like having a working, reliable Starship. Which can then transfer space tourists from the top of the rocket to the surface, and then back again. So some EVA required. Then how to get tourists safely from LZ to the inflatable, dust them off thoroughly and back again. Then boring details like what to do if/when the inflatable springs a leak, staffing, supplying etc etc. Some certainties though, like if a space tourist even looks at the mini-bar, it'll cost them even more than it would in Vegas.

But I agree on burial. It would seem much easier to just bury Starships that have their payload space pre-configured to end up horizontal and could be joined together to form the beginnings of a lunar base. Then get the lunarcrete batch plants kicking out prefab components that can make an expanded one that may or may not have facilities for tourists.

[DS999]

Re: That moon regolith is nasty, sharp stuff

Like dust plumes kicked up by landing (or falling) Starships

Well I certainly don't want to be in an inflatable anything close enough to where something is landing for dust in a vacuum it kicked up to impact it!

[MachDiamond]

Re: That moon regolith is nasty, sharp stuff

"Like dust plumes kicked up by landing (or falling) Starships."

The chances of that might be quite low for the foreseeable future. A Blue lander, OTOH........

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: That moon regolith is nasty, sharp stuff

Too scientific...

You're not thinking within the realms of reality.

I know exactly how you create a hole.

It only takes one billionaire to drag a few particles in on their boots that can eventually get stuck to someone, then two pervert billionaires at the lunar sex party fucking against a wall in the Epstein suite to pop it.

We don't know for sure if this kind of thing will happen in a moon hotel for the super rich...but statistically speaking, the person on Earth with the highest probability of being the first rich person to fuck on the moon is Bill Clinton.

[Jellied Eel]

Re: That moon regolith is nasty, sharp stuff

It only takes one billionaire to drag a few particles in on their boots that can eventually get stuck to someone, then two pervert billionaires at the lunar sex party fucking against a wall in the Epstein suite to pop it.

Anyone who's ever gotten frisky on a beach knows that sand gets everywhere, including places you'd rather it didn't. Which may mean bringing interesting inflammation, irritation and future cancer causation back to the gravity well and end up in future medical journals. Given space tourism is going to be the domain of the rich & shameless, de-anonymising patient information would likely be easy, and perhaps entertaining.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: That moon regolith is nasty, sharp stuff

"...then two pervert billionaires at the lunar sex party fucking against a wall in the Epstein suite to pop it."

I suspect on Epsteins island (and elsewhere?) it only involved ONE "pervert billionaire" and a younger female who was promised a lot, but who's body parts were essentially just used, and then another young female replaced her...etc etc etc

On the Moon it might be a bit different, because as we all know, "in space no one can hear you scream"...or hire lawyers !

[MachDiamond]

Re: That moon regolith is nasty, sharp stuff

"On the Moon it might be a bit different,"

Yep, having an "accident" will be much easier.

[MachDiamond]

Re: That moon regolith is nasty, sharp stuff

"Unless you do something that puts dust on it and there is something that constantly rubs that dust I don't see how you could make a hole."

One of the few technical things that are plausible in The Martian was the airlock blowing out after being used so often. Any inflatable balloon on the moon will expand and contract while rubbing on a bed of broken glass.

Radiation is an issue. Maintaining a livable temp will be an issue. Anything hitting the moon isn't slowed down or burned up by an atmosphere first.

Schlepping a bouncy castle to anyplace off-Earth is a dicey proposition and comes with loads of risk.

[David Hicklin]

Re: That moon regolith is nasty, sharp stuff

For all the negative comments , an inflatable structure inside a lava tube is probably the only viable way to build a large structure by shipping it from Earth. They have had inflatable structures on the ISS for a while.

However I expect the facilities will be pretty basic, probably not much better than on the ISS or crew on a moon exploration mission.

I do agree that this won't go anywhere as it's launch rocket is not going anywhere yet for a while.

[MachDiamond]

Re: That moon regolith is nasty, sharp stuff

"For all the negative comments , an inflatable structure inside a lava tube is probably the only viable way to build a large structure by shipping it from Earth. They have had inflatable structures on the ISS for a while."

Using some sort of inflatable sealing "bag" inside a lave tube would be a quick method to make the tunnel airtight as long as there isn't a really sharp bit that starts a rip propagating. I expect it won't be perfect and will need some touching up.

Pressure cycling from heating and cooling will be a problem if there isn't a way to moderate pressure changes to compensate. Anything that's worked mechanically over and over will give out at some point. Add in very low temps and the issue can be made worse. The sorts of rubbery compounds used on Earth can be an issue in the coldest climates. Something baking in the sun can also heat up and make the material far less strong. I'm getting a vision of a car wrap done poorly in the summer sun.

[Anonymous Coward]

I love space scams. Asking non-banking entities for a loan to build something is already an obvious scam, then add "but in space!" just makes me chuckle.

[cyberdemon]

Fools

And their money

Are easily parted.

Obvious scam, but since its targeting the obnoxiously wealthy, it's fine with me.

[werdsmith]

Re: Fools

The company will fold before 2030 and the deposits will disappear into the ether of course.

But the people who pay these deposits won't miss the money - it is small change to them.

[JulieM]

Re: Fools

I'm not sure.

I'd be perfectly happy with the rich getting scammed as long as the money ended up going towards some cause that seeks somehow to repair some of the damage done by the marksunwitting donors in the first place.

When it's merely the rich scamming each other for personal gain (and as likely as not without the full amount of VAT being paid), I can't really summon up much enthusiasm for it.

[Tom66]

Anyone who falls for this type of scam just deserves it at this point. This is not scamming an elderly lady for her life savings. This is getting some rich moron to bankroll an impossible project.

[LucreLout]

That's not a moon..... It's a space station. And by space station we of course mean an AI rendering of one and some vague talk of passenger rides with spacex if we're still trading in a few years *

* We won't be.

[I am David Jones]

To me it seems pretty churlish to shoot down ideas about establishing a presence on the moon, which by definition they must be somewhat far fetched. And please, “doesn’t have ownership rights”? Maybe you want to expand on that bald assertion, starting with explaining who has, and who hasn’t, “ownership rights” on the moon. And the basis for that claim.

[doublelayer]

And please, “doesn’t have ownership rights”? Maybe you want to expand on that bald assertion, starting with explaining who has, and who hasn’t, “ownership rights” on the moon. And the basis for that claim.

Sure, if you need it. The basis is the Outer Space Treaty. Relevant portions of the summary read and their significance is:

"States shall be responsible for national space activities whether carried out by governmental or non-governmental entities": So they will need permission from at least one government, almost certainly the one that launches all their stuff, to do that, and

"States shall be liable for damage caused by their space objects": That permission is going to come with some big strings attached to prevent that liability from being invoked since their hotel runs a significant risk of contaminating the moon, and

"outer space is not subject to national appropriation by claim of sovereignty, by means of use or occupation, or by any other means": their ability to retain control and ownership of their hotel if they landed it isn't going to work the way they think it does.

[Bebu sa Ware]

Outer Space Treaty ?

And what in the last twelve months leads you to believe that the US would adhere to the terms of this treaty any more than any other ?

[doublelayer]

Re: Outer Space Treaty ?

Mostly the fact that this company only operates for its own purposes and doesn't have anywhere near the money to make any politician care about what it wants the rules to be. Several countries ignore provisions they don't care about, but usually for nationally significant projects like anti-satellite tests (China mostly but some others) and getting the first big LEO internet satellite constellation regardless of the risks (US) and getting the second such constellation (a few countries in a race) because, if I had to guess, they're assuming that someone will stop this but the first movers will get grandfathered in.

A hotel set up by people who don't have a clue how to do it or fund it isn't likely to be the same. I don't think any country is going to break the treaty for these guys' benefit.

[MachDiamond]

Re: Outer Space Treaty ?

" I don't think any country is going to break the treaty for these guys' benefit."

Once there's a real possibility of things such as off-Earth habitats, the existing space treaties are going to wind up being re-written. The "maybe someday in the future" date will arrive with different attitudes and politics. The benefit might be as a flag-of-convenience base for the sponsoring nation if it helps them catch up with the US, Russia, China, India and Japan that have space programs that might be able to accomplish a permanent presence on/in the moon.

[Mike VandeVelde]

Re: Outer Space Treaty ?

86 comments on an article about inflatable space tents and not a single hit for Bigelow?

https://www.theregister.com/2013/11/15/bigelow_moon_un_outer_space_treaty/

"Bigelow Aerospace, sellers of inflatable bubble habitats for infinity and beyond, is filing for an amendment to the 1967 Outer Space Treaty to allow private individuals to own sections of the Moon."

[MachDiamond]

Re: Outer Space Treaty ?

"86 comments on an article about inflatable space tents and not a single hit for Bigelow?"

Well, they ain't around anymore and haven't been for a while. The last new posting on their site was in 2019 along with a banner about "investigating the paranormal" discussion with Robert Bigelow.

[I am David Jones]

Is a commercial enterprise building a moon hotel a ‘’national space activity”? I don’t think so. National space activities are things done by or at the behest of a nation.

[doublelayer]

Then go and read the history of existing space law, because the answer is that those do still count, partially because launches are authorized by the government of the state. We don't have to argue about it.

[Claptrap314]

I admire your trust in human nature

That treaty has always been a dead letter. Tell me, what formal complaint has EVER been filed by one country against another under it?

Look, the ideas are (mostly) good, but as soon as actual commercialization of orbital space got going, additional laws got going, and not always in accordance.

Big money pays for the big guns. That's not going to change.

[doublelayer]

Re: I admire your trust in human nature

"That treaty has always been a dead letter. Tell me, what formal complaint has EVER been filed by one country against another under it?"

Canada, against the Soviet Union, for the contamination caused by Kosmos 954. The USSR paid, though not all they should have. So far, that's the only one, but it worked that time.

However, I wasn't arguing that some other country would make a claim against the US and the US would pay, since there's no logical claim to expect. I was arguing that the US would probably not jump to permitting this company to do whatever it wants because they don't see a benefit from it, this company can't do it, and this company will need approval from some government, almost certainly the US government, to launch their stuff.

[Flocke Kroes]

Churlish

Given enough time I am certain Lunar tourism will take off. This one-man-band might sell some reservations but he lacks the knowledge of an enthusiastic amateur and does not come remotely close to the skill set required to actually build anything on the Moon. The schedule is so rapid that it would require the intelligence of a president to be fooled. I think that is rather the point of the white paper. Skyler Chan does not want to waste time courting investors who will spot a non-starter before parting with money.

[m4r35n357]

Re: Churlish

It really really will not! Bit like undersea "tourism". OTOH a lot of rich idiots might get blown up on the pad (https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2026/01/14/isro_pslv_mission_fail/) so there is at least a potential upside. But no, it will not happen.

See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravitational_potential#Unit_and_numerical_values, and beware of Elon's private meteorite storm on the way.

[Flocke Kroes]

Re: Churlish

My background is physics so I know what gravitational potential is. I checked your link anyway. Now you have me convinced... you add random links to your posts instead of links that support your opinion.

[m4r35n357]

Re: Churlish

OK so you know how cheap & safe it is to send "tourists" into space. Good.

[FIA]

Re: Churlish

I may have misunderstood your comment, but it seems like you're saying:

"It won't happen... but on the upside some people might die."

Have I misunderstood?

[m4r35n357]

Re: Churlish

Yes

[FIA]

Re: Churlish

Yes

Really?

To quote your post: "OTOH a lot of rich idiots might get blown up on the pad (https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2026/01/14/isro_pslv_mission_fail/) so there is at least a potential upside."

It seems like you're saying the potential of 'a lot' of people getting 'blown up' on the pad is a 'potential upside'.

What did you actually mean by this?

[JulieM]

Re: Churlish

That the existence of fewer billionaires is a net benefit for the rest of us, is how I read it.

[m4r35n357]

Re: Churlish

I mean that anyone who seriously things space tourism will work is retarded. When rich people start getting killed, that will be it.

Did the submarine reference just whizz by above your head? FFS!

Do you seriously think the cost of hauling rockets & fuel out of the gravity well will decrease with "passenger" volume, or something?

This is a stupid fantasy, please explain why you are not getting it.

[MachDiamond]

Re: Churlish

"Given enough time I am certain Lunar tourism will take off. "

Yes, and will likely start the same way as people booking trips to ISS. The cost will be so high that the pool of people that could even go once is vanishingly small.

If commercial enterprises are found to be profitable, there will be more non-governmental people going and those that really want to visit the moon might build the credentials to get those sorts of jobs where they could be selected. Those people will be cleaning loos and doing laundry/chores along with everybody else, not preening tourists that will expect those things to be done for them.

[David Hicklin]

Re: Churlish

Somehow I think trips to moon aka the movie 2001 need to be files along with Flying cars, Nuclear fusion and quantum computing

Always 30 years away - and it is over 30 years since we last landed a human there.

[Jimjam3]

Surely you mean bold assertion and not bald assertion.

Oh and it’s not churlish to point out dangerous flaws in a plan!

[m4r35n357]

Well the thread is actually titled "churlish" so WTF did the OP expect ;)

[Anonymous Coward]

I've got a certificate somewhere that tells me I own an acre of the Moon. So they'd better not land or put it on my bit.

[Candy]

Ripe for a Zork bork

So let me get this straight: A hotel in a Colossal Cave that will doubtless turn into a maze of twisted little passages (all different) where the newly impoverished tech bros will be killed by a GRUe.

[Jellied Eel]

Re: Ripe for a Zork bork

.. where the newly impoverished tech bros will be killed by a GRUe.

Don't build it on the Pink Floyd side of the Moon and it'll be fine. Probably. Unless another GRU sneaks someone up there with a pin.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Ripe for a Zork bork

Don't be alarmist - that's only if the lights go out.

(I really ought to dig out the old disks and pay the world another visit...)

[IGotOut]

A bit fucking late

Didn't you know Musk has had a colony on Mars since 2022?

It's connected to other Martian X-bases by a hyperloop, but if you you prefer, you can always hop into a FSD Tesla.

https://www.archdaily.com/880697/elon-musk-announces-spacex-plans-to-begin-mars-colonization-by-2022

[Bebu sa Ware]

Re: A bit fucking late

"Didn't you know Musk has had a colony on Mars since 2022?"

Amalgamated with the existing one founded from the Lunar NAZI base ?

GRU = Grifters 'R' Us ?

Still takes real chutzpah to ask for a $ million for possible stay in an inflatable but characteristically leaky Li·lo™ of a hotel in the utterly unforgiving lunar environment.

Admittedly there is a very long list of people who I would be more than prepared to pay $1 million to pack like Brisling sardines into a disposable rocket and launch at the Moon (or the Sun… anywhere really, just not here) but the GRU crew and any deposits will certainly have evaporated well before 2029 let alone 2032.

Actually - what would you do once you were on the Moon ? Take the totty and join the 250,000 mile high club ?

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: A bit fucking late

I think he might be on to something. I think a bouncy castle on the moon targets that often overlooked "8 years old but stinking rich" market.

"Actually - what would you do once you were on the Moon ? Take the totty and join the 250,000 mile high club ?"

It's exclusively for billionaires in a jurisdiction that is outside of Earth...what do you think all the billionaires will do? Sit around the piano chortling and guffawing with blinis and champagne?

It won't be classy like my friends door bell. I configured that to play the Ferrero Rocher music when the button is pressed. He says he hates it, but he hasn't once asked me for the password to change it.

[Phil O'Sophical]

Re: A bit fucking late

Actually - what would you do once you were on the Moon ?

"Hi, Mom! You'll never guess where I'm calling you from!"

[Jellied Eel]

Re: A bit fucking late

"Hi, Mom! You'll never guess where I'm calling you from!"

Hmm.. Scott Manley's vid was rudely interrupted by an ad read from Surfshark. For only $1999 a month, you can pick the Moon as a VPN endpoint*! Which won't exactly cause any IP lawyers who've already asserted rights to things outside Earth to break much of a sweat.

*Faking latency is possible, but not always easy. Could maybe hire James May to add 'Buffering!' to voice or video calls though.

[JulieM]

Re: A bit fucking late

Actually - what would you do once you were on the Moon ? Take the totty and join the 250,000 mile high club ?

I would send a text message to a bunch of mathematicians about to announce how many digits of pi they had calculated, reading "355/113 was good enough to get us here!"

[Neil Barnes]

The moon is a harsh mistress

Much as I'd appreciate the holiday, for now I shall be keeping my wallet in my pocket.

[Bebu sa Ware]

Re: The moon is a harsh mistress

Some like it that way, So I believe.

[jake]

Re: The moon is a harsh mistress

... and there is no safe word.

[Neil Barnes]

Re: The moon is a harsh mistress

And in space, nobody can hear you... no, no, I can't do it. You fill the end in.

[Richard 12]

Re: The moon is a harsh mistress

Cha cha cha!

[Anonymous Coward]

You fill the end in.

As the Actress said to the Bishop.

[frankvw]

Re: The moon is a harsh mistress

And remember, kids: TANSTAAFL!

[spold]

Alternatively ...

Go to the McMurdo Dry valleys in Antarctica https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McMurdo_Dry_Valleys - pretty similar but cheaper shithole experience except they get a bit of meltwater on a Tuesday in August and the odd bit of green crud - soup anyone?

[MJB7]

Re: Alternatively ...

August is one of the least likely months to get any meltwater - it's the middle of winter.

The real difference between the moon and the dry valleys is that you can survive outside for tens of minutes without any protective equipment at all in the latter

[Anonymous Coward]

Wouldn't it be a safer bet to organise an AirBnB (or similar) swap with the Soup Dragon?

[parlei]

Better then the NoAirBnB we expect if they try...

[Fruit and Nutcase]

exceed $10 million

Even at double that, it's a bargain. NASA should take a punt and book a few seats for their astronauts

[MachDiamond]

Re: exceed $10 million

"Even at double that, it's a bargain. NASA should take a punt and book a few seats for their astronauts"

NASA pays 8-9x that to get astronauts to ISS by SpaceX. Food and other supplies (air) not included.

[Jellied Eel]

Re: exceed $10 million

Food and other supplies (air) not included.

I watched a fun video where I think Adam Savage visited NASA and showed the evolution of space food. No longer mush ina tube, now a wide selection of tasty, nutritious and familiar foods. Which is a good thing given ISS astronauts might be eating space rations for months, and variety or just comfort foods is good for morale. Plus experiments to test growing things in space, that produced square carrots because they were grown in a support/containment foam. And a memorable one, some Dutch researchers tested beer in the vomit comet.

Which is all rather fascinating. So champagne in space is possible, albeit expensive unless it gets repackaged given the mass of the bottle. Or the glass could come in handy and be recycled in a solar furnace. But there would be some challenges for fine dining in space. Like microgravity would probably mean souffles don't collapse once you open the oven door (damn them!), but how to make an omlette, or scrambled eggs? Or visions of chefs running around the kitchen, chasing a pancake they just flipped.

But lots of processes where currently gravity helps, and would hinder in space. Or provide opportunities to make fun new materials like foamed metals. Things like my favorite, lunacrete and making a concrete Mars ships. Pouring lunarcrete might be tricky, but pumping it into forms should work.

[MachDiamond]

Re: exceed $10 million

"but how to make an omlette, or scrambled eggs? "

Those are easy. Freeze-dried and reconstituted/cooked eggs can be almost indistinguishable. I've only done a small amount in my freeze dryer and it works well. At some point when eggs are on offer, I'm going to do some much larger, full-tray, batches as a hedge against the next eggpocolypse. A fried egg seems to be a challenge.

For a pancake, cook in advance and freeze. There's the option of making them fresh by using a measured amount of batter in an enclosed cooker similar to a waffle.

This reminds me of the mad inventors trying to come up with the best way to make a burger flipper. The job's been done. Put the patty between two cooking surfaces and don't flip at all.

[Winkypop]

“Wait for external validation or government consensus”

Sounds like a lunar version of OceanGate.

And we know how well that turned out.

[jake]

Re: “Wait for external validation or government consensus”

I was thinking a lunar version of Blueseed.

Regardless, methinks any money invested by anyone in this project will be eaten by a GRU.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: “Wait for external validation or government consensus”

Well, it's not like its such a high pressure environment...

[Anonymous Coward]

Do they have a room service menu?

Or do we have to settle for the 5 year old peanuts from the minibar?

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Do they have a room service menu?

Just imagine the cost!

[lglethal]

Hotel. More like Airbnb

It's not really a Hotel is it. 4 people can stay there. So a bit small for a Hotel, much more like an Airbnb. I'm also assuming no permanent staff either. Like an Airbnb.

And I assume you have to clean up before you leave or lose your deposit. Like an Airbnb. Although I'm also guessing that there's also no cleaning crew that services the place inbetween habitations. (Assumably like some of the Airbnb's I've stayed in).

I can already imagine some of the reviews.

"Comfy beds, location is out of this world! But needs a good clean, and be warned there are no shops around ANYWHERE!"

"This was the worst place I have ever stayed. Took ages to get there, and there's nothing to do. Internet is super slow. Place hasnt been cleaned in ages. Way overpriced. Would not stay again."

[DJO]

Re: Hotel. More like Airbnb

This is just the start. An inflatable dwelling, not a problem, there's been an inflatable at the ISS for a while. Radiation, again not really a problem for the occupation durations expected, people have lived in the ISS and earlier space stations for months with no radiation problems experienced - there again, everybody who's been sent to a station had to undergo months of training first, will our tourists go through the same sort of training first, of course not.

The real problem is the infrastructure around the "hotel" - oxygen and water recycling and reliable energy are just the start, the tourists won't want to walk to & from the landing/launching pad so a ground vehicle of some kind will be needed along with a vast selection of EVA suits in every size imaginable, one-size-fits-all is not (currently) feasible for EVA suits. Catering is an obvious problem, a box of frozen microwaveable meals washed down with recyc is not the experience the customers will be hoping and paying for. A staff of at least one person is essential as expecting a bunch of super-wealthy tourists to survive with nobody to wait on them and to show them how to safely use the equipment is a guaranteed recipe for disaster.

I suppose it's a good thing it's just a scam, the obstacles for anybody doing this for real are substantial.

[Irongut]

Re: Hotel. More like Airbnb

> Radiation, again not really a problem for the occupation durations expected, people have lived in the ISS and earlier space stations for months with no radiation problems experienced

The moon, unlike the ISS, is not protected by the Earth's magnetic field. Radiation will be a huge problem, just as it will for Elon's Musketeers if he ever sends anyone to die on Mars.

[DJO]

Re: Hotel. More like Airbnb

The ISS has some protection but not a huge amount, a week on the moon residing in a shielded habitat would probably give our hypothetical tourists a similar dose to a month or 2 in the ISS.

Although I suspect the presiding opinion here is anyone daft enough to go there can come back glowing and nobody except their lawyers would care much.

Give it the credence you think it deserves, but a friendly "AI" had this to say: Radiation exposure on the Moon's surface is approximately 2.6 times higher than on the International Space Station (ISS)

[MachDiamond]

Re: Hotel. More like Airbnb

"Radiation, again not really a problem for the occupation durations expected, people have lived in the ISS and earlier space stations for months with no radiation problems experienced"

Well, yes, ISS residents have had issues. The station is still within the Earth's magnetosphere too.

People may have to pay for their own EVA suit which ramps up the cost a wee bit.

Obviously, it's a scam. There's experience with people in space on space stations that goes back ages now, but not on the moon. There's going to be lessons learned that can't even be guessed at until it's being done. I expect there will a bunch of overcompensation for things that might become a problem to cover for those unknown gremlins and it will take time to learn how to run a habitat efficiently.

Whenever I'd build a new bit of kit for my manufacturing company, the first iteration took ages, cost too much and needed updating from day one. If there was a next one(s), the time and cost would drop precipitously and it would work better. I also learned that there was a value to getting something that works well enough into operation as quickly as possible since not having it was more expensive than having something a wee bit dodgy. Too dodgy and v2 would need to happen quickly.

[Anonymous John]

Deja vu

Why does this business model remind me of Virgin Galactic?

Icon is the velocity needed to get you there.

[MachDiamond]

Re: Deja vu

"Why does this business model remind me of Virgin Galactic?"

A big problem with VG was they initially thought they could scale up the hybrid rocket engine from Starship One while overcoming some of the issues it had. To that end, they designed, tooled and built an airframe before the rocket engine was done. Rather than stopping, getting the engine right and re-designing the airframe, they continued tweeking the engine and building airframe parts with the hope they'd get it sorted. Didn't happen. The final choice was to go back to the 50miles high = space rather than the modern definition of 100km. The rubber fuel motor vibrated too hard towards the end of flight due to inconsistencies in the way the fuel would burn. A Nylon fuel grain worked better, but required a He moderating gas and that took up two paying passenger seats. The flight test with the Nylon fuel grain is the one where a mistake by the co-pilot caused a loss-of-vehicle accident and a loss of the co-pilot's life (and structural oneness).

The White Knight Two carrier plane also had all sorts of issues and is in need of replacements/updates without having paid it's way as planned.

[Kane]

GRU Space rejects the notion...

...that we must wait for external validation or government consensus to build the future...Instead, we operate on the principle that conviction must bridge the gap between the status quo and the necessary future."

Big Cave Johnson vibes.

LemonGrenade, anyone?

[Anonymous Coward]

That marketing reminds me of a certain submarine company, we don't need no stinkin' regulations!

Although I think this time they are going to vanish in about 5 years time with a lot of money.

[MarkMLl]

Anybody who has watched 2001

would know that space station management was franchised (a Hilton logo was prominent) but that there was no hotel on the Moon and that the Lunar outposts were national assets.

[AlanSh]

Infrastructure?

Who cleans up the waste products? Where do the drains go?

I look on at all this with interest - from afar :)

[MachDiamond]

Re: Infrastructure?

"Where do the drains go?"

Into the wall.

<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVxOb8-d7Ic&t=5s>

[big_D]

GRU?

Why is Russian Military Intelligence opening a hotel, let alone one on the moon?

[Doctor Syntax]

"For the low, low deposit cost of either $250,000 or $1 million"

Surely that should be $1 at compound interest.

[SnailFerrous]

The lava tubes are already occupied by Clangers. Any survivors of their American led liberation from the brutal rule of Major Clanger will be employed in the hotel as cleaners and blue string pudding cooks.

Prostitutes too, if that is likely to appeal to hotel guests. Billionaires, so the answer is probably yes.

[MachDiamond]

"The lava tubes are already occupied by Clangers. "

I read somewhere that it was Nazis but they weren't the ones that built the underground facilities.

[ComicalEngineer]

I'd sign up for a stay but...

... there's no atmosphere.

Sorry.

[hedgie]

Re: I'd sign up for a stay but...

And you're all alone, more or less.

[trevorde]

4 In A Bed Lunar Special

Can just imagine 'Payment Day':

Hosting:

* 'entertainment' consisted of a 'moon walk' - boring

* hotel is miles from anywhere

* evening meal was same as breakfast

* Elon Musk kept banging on 'my Mars hotel is so much better'

Cleanliness:

* room had not been cleaned and was covered in regolith

* bed sheets had not been washed since hotel opened

* hairs on bed from previous guests

Facilities:

* room should really have an ensuite

* room decor very bland

* no privacy in communal bathroom

* no tea or coffee making equipment in room

* room very small for price

* internet very expensive

* no mobile phone reception

* no car park

Sleep quality:

* walls paper thin

* could not sleep due to science experiments going on all night

* air mattress kept deflating

Breakfast:

* freeze dried and not local produce

* should have cooked breakfast option

* milk was UHT and not fresh

Would you stay here again:

* no

Price: $10M USD

Payment: $1M USD (an under payment of $9M USD)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_in_a_Bed

[drwho70]

Extras?

Does it include breakfast?

[xyz]

Re: Extras?

TL;DR.... does it include flights to and from?

[MachDiamond]

Re: Extras?

"TL;DR.... does it include flights to and from?"

You must be joking. There's always a footnote that travel/transfers are not included.

[frankvw]

"conviction must bridge the gap between the status quo and the necessary future..."

Does that include GRU being convicted for swindling sometime in the necessary near future?

[IceC0ld]

SO, who will build it, and not asking about GRU, although did they pick that name after watching MINIONS, when Gru miniaturized the moon ? :o)

asking about the labour, who will provide it, and how do they intend to power it, I do NOT imagine the obscenely wealthy would like to prance around up there and not let the peons back on Earth how they are getting on :o)

so will it be WIMPEY, taking their NAVVIES to places they have never been before ?

and even though even I can smell scam, it is always worth asking the odd ball questions, they WILL be prepared to field questions re finances and ROI, but the down and dirty on how much will they PAY the poor swine actually going to install it, and where will THEY stay whilst it is ongoing, doubtful they will be allowed into the hotel, I mean, it is costing upwards of $10 MILLION to stay there, would they want to share space with the peasants who built it ?

[JLV]

The difference with the Fyre Festival is that the location makes it unlikely that it would end as well as just overpaying for $5000 stale cheese sandwiches in surplus rescue tents. Leaky has an entirely different meaning in space. Best it ponzies without ever leaving the ground.

A fool and his money are easily parted. Makes one wonder how they made that money in the first place.

[Timop]

Like any wealthy person? Through monopoly business or inheritance.

[Blackjack]

https://simpleflying.com/pan-am-first-moon-flights-club-story/

Those were free by the way even if they never happened.

[BasicReality]

I just hope the rooms come with a hot tub.

[DrXym]

Lunar grift

That's a million dollars the marks won't see again

[JLV]

Re: Lunar grift

Actually, it's more clever than that. Click through on "Reserve a spot".

They charge you $1000 USD to buy an app that will allow you to full out the full questionnaire and deposit $1M.

> Complete these initial questions and pay the non-refundable app fee when prompted and we will contact you to complete the full app and provide certain documents. If approved, we’ll ask you to make your fully refundable deposit to reserve your place in history!

They really don't have to do anything much, nor do they have to pretend to deliver on those $1M deposits, assuming they get any. This could be more akin to the I am Rich $999 iOS app than Fyre. Lots easier to fleece people for $1k than $1m although the payoff ain't quite the same.

In fact, if they don't touch any of those $1M deposits and are actually able to refund them, they may not be legally liable for committing fraud.

[AlanSh]

Re: Lunar grift

Plus the interest on all those $1m investments for the next 9 years. Say 3% pa on 10 sets of deposits. Sitting pretty...

[MachDiamond]

Re: Lunar grift

"Plus the interest on all those $1m investments for the next 9 years. Say 3% pa on 10 sets of deposits. Sitting pretty..."

Bush league.

Take 100 full price reservations on a vehicle at $250,000/whack, not build the vehicle for 10 years........................

[MachDiamond]

Re: Lunar grift

"They really don't have to do anything much, nor do they have to pretend to deliver on those $1M deposits"

Legally, there's a difference between a "reservation" and a "deposit". A reservation can be pretty dodgy and without much substance. A deposit is more defined. Buyer beware of the words being used (officially). For something costing $1mn, I'd pay a bloodsucking attorney some money to review the documents first.

[that one in the corner]

All Hail the White Paper.

(Cue hypno-toad)

Hey, it was worked pretty well for wotsisname, well worth GRU trying again; what harm could it do?

[cd]

It's just a phase...

First it will be new. Then, as word spreads, it'll become full. As reservations prove hatd to get, interest will wane.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: It's just a phase...

Well, what do you expect from the Moon?

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm feeling a bit gibbous at the moment (urp).

[xyz123]

I'm waiting for the inevitable Karen to end up on the moon, screaming at the manager "I'm Never breathing here again!" then storming out of the airlock to their energy-guzzling SUV Moonrover.

[Timop]

When everyone already knows crypto is a bubble but you gotta catch some whales anyway

[Anonymous Coward]

Trip and accomodation sold seperately

Dont tell me ,you are expected to book the accomodation and then figure out how to get there after via other means.

At least the scammers have adopted my bouncy castle idea. But mine was in a dug out cave for protection from the US superhero making rays.