Largest lab to luxury hotel: Rs 8467760000000 crore new space station to be built by…; it will be operational by…
Space Tourism: Do you know which is the most expensive man-made object in the world? It might surprise you to learn that it’s not something you might expect! Well, the most expensive man-made object isn’t even on Earth—it’s floating in space, the International Space Station (ISS).
Largest lab to luxury hotel: Rs 8467760000000 crore new space station to be built by…; it will be operational by…
The International Space Station (ISS), the most expensive man-made object, costs over $100 billion. As per the Guinness World Records, the International Space Station (ISS) is the most expensive man-made object. “The most expensive man-made object is the International Space Station (ISS). Its final cost will be over $100 billion (£66.7 billion),” reads the official website of Guinness World Records.
The International Space Station (ISS) is the largest laboratory in space, often referred to as the last human outpost, situated far from the chaos of Earth. Launched in 1998, the ISS is now nearing its final phase, with plans to retire it by 2031. In its place, a new space station called Orbital Reef will be developed by Jeff Bezos’ company, Blue Origin. This will be the world’s first commercial space station, with Bezos envisioning it as a center for space tourism. NASA has awarded Blue Origin the contract for this ambitious project, and companies such as Sierra Space, Amazon, Boeing, and other aerospace firms are joining forces to bring it to life.
A digital rendering of Blue Origin’s free-flying station named Orbital Reef, which continues to be developed as part of a Space Act Agreement with NASA (photo taken: nasa.gov)
The new space station, named Orbital Reef, will span 8,000 cubic feet. In the future, astronauts will conduct experiments here. The estimated cost of the entire project is $100 billion (approximately Rs 84,67,76,00,00,000).
Photo Credit: blueorigin.com
The new space station is set to be completed by 2027, with plans for its launch in the same year. It is expected to be fully operational by 2030, just a year before the ISS is retired. Furthermore, Orbital Reef will be the first commercial space station, allowing private companies to send their scientists into space for research. Bezos has decided to design the space station like a hotel, as he envisions it being used for space tourism as well.
As per a Zeenews Hindi report, the Orbital Reef space station initially will accommodate only 10 astronauts, but this capacity will gradually be increased. New modules for various experiments will be added to the space station over time. The International Space Station (ISS) will be decommissioned in 2031. The contract for this has been given to Elon Musk’s company, SpaceX.