It seems that staying in space is no longer only reserved for only the astronauts and Jeff Bezos. Two new space stations have been announced by Orbital Assembly Corporation that will be designed to accommodate space tourism. If you’re one of those people who have dreamt of luxury in the outer world, it seems your dreams can be fulfilled, maybe as soon as 2025!
The Idea
The idea was first floated in 2019 by The Gateway Foundation, for a space hotel whose goal was to have a facility up in space like a business park. This will serve as a base for offices and tourists, a home away from home. Tim Alatorre, the COO of Orbital Assembly, has stated that the aim has always been to make it possible for people to live, work, and thrive in space. While the topic of sending non-astronauts into outer space is an ongoing debate, many scientists believe that it will open the doors for the advancement of technologies, as well as promote the venture itself.
The Space Hotels
The two space stations are named Pioneer and Voyager, respectively. Pioneer, the smaller of the two, will be able to house 28 people and will also have research facilities available for rent. Voyager, which is scheduled to open in 2027, is set to hold up to a whopping 400 people. Both the stations are furnished to resemble luxury hotels on Earth. Voyager’s renderings also feature a restaurant and suites with a view of our home planet. Both stations will also have hybrid microgravity. Tourists will be able to drink their cup of coffee without having to be strapped down, but may still feel some weightlessness. The center of the station will have no gravity, but it will slowly increase as one moves further away from the center. According to Alatorre, the company currently sees the two stations as the ultimate eco-tourism destination.
Tech Execs Top the Highest Paid CEO List Once Again
Bloomberg has revealed which CEOs made the most money in 2019, and there’s a clear trend at the top of the list. While Wall Street tycoons might once have thrived here, they’ve now been swept aside by the tech execs dominating the world with the latest and greatest products.
Taking The Top Spot
Sitting comfortably in the number one spot is Elon Musk, the man responsible for companies like Tesla and SpaceX. In 2019 alone, he made just shy of an unbelievable $600 million. The bulk of this came from his stock in Tesla, with a single share of this currently around the $1,500 mark. Musk’s car company is now the most valuable of its kind in the world, and as long as that remains the case, the CEO will be a wealthy man.
Settling For Second Place
Just behind Musk is Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple. The financial difference between the two men is significant, with Elon’s $600 million a huge leap ahead of Cook’s $133 million earnings. Of course, that figure is still nothing to laugh at, and it puts the man ahead of all the other CEOs out there. Much like Musk, Tim’s money mostly came from stocks and other perks, with his annual salary only equating to $3 million. Clearly, being at the helm of one of the world’s most popular smartphone manufacturers has its benefits.
Rounding Out The Top Ten
These two are far from the only tech execs to earn a place in Bloomberg’s top ten. Robert Swan from Intel landed at number seven, while Alphabet’s Sundar Pichai finished in eighth. Satya Nadella, who’s the CEO of Microsoft, was just behind them at nine. In 2019, these men earned $99 million, $86 million, and $77 million, respectively.
With companies like Tesla and Apple continuing to thrive, we expect 2020’s list will probably look very similar to this one.