Russian company unveils plan to launch 'space hotel'

London, Sept 30 (ANI): A Russian company is set to launch a "cosmic hotel" for wealthy space tourists.

Guests would be ferried to the hotel on a Soyuz shuttle to the "comfortable" four-room guesthouse, which could be in orbit by 2016 and would follow the same orbit as the International Space Station, according to Orbital Technologies.

"Our planned module inside will not remind you of the ISS. A hotel should be comfortable inside, and it will be possible to look at the Earth through large portholes," the BBC quoted Sergei Kostenko, chief executive of Orbital Technologies, as saying.

The hotel is primarily targeted towards wealthy individuals and space researchers. The first module would have four cabins, designed for up to seven passengers, who would be packed into a space of 20 cubic metres.

Although the cost of living there hasn't been announced, Kostenko said visitors could order food that suits them and that organisers were thinking of employing celebrity chefs to cook the meals before they were sent into space.

Not everyone is as psyched about the idea though. Jim Oberg, a Houston-based space consultant and expert on the Russian space program, has his doubts.

"Why Russia would spend the required funds is a compelling question that has significant implications for its future commitment to the ISS," he said. (ANI)