A family of four hops into a rocket ship and blasts out into space. Instead of a trip to Hawaii, they opt to spend their one-week vacation in outer space. This pipe dream scenario won’t be far from reality if all goes as planned by 2025.
Members of the public will be able to take a giant leap onto the Voyager Space Station via re-usable rocket ships. The space station – currently in design phase – is helping fulfill a lifelong dream for one California architect to contribute to space exploration.
Tim Alatorre landed the lead designer position for this super colossal structure expected to float in low Earth orbit. It wasn’t easy for him to get the gig. It took months for Alatorre to convince Voyager’s innovators that he was a perfect fit for the job. His reputation creating structures in the most impossible conditions like on flood plains or hillsides while maintaining the public’s safety got the attention of The Gateway Foundation, a group backing the project.
“Being a licensed architect in California, I think about just…my responsibility to the citizens of the state as well as my fiduciary responsibility in health, safety and welfare,” Alatorre said.
Alatorre drafted a plan for the Voyager Space Station that includes 24 cylindrical modules encircling the structure to accommodate tourist spots like hotels and luxury apartments.
“They’re 20 meters in length by 20 meters in diameter and, for example, we have a gym module or a restaurant module,” Alatorre said.
Visitors will experience zero gravity on the ride over to the Voyager in low earth orbit using one of the rocket ships built by companies like Space X, Boeing, Sierra Nevada, and Space Tours. An elevator will take them inside the craft as it rotates one and a half revolutions per minute, helping to achieve one-sixths of earth’s gravity.
“You’ll be able to jump six times higher. You’ll be able to lift six times as much,” Alatorre said.
You’ll also be able to enjoy amazing views of Earth. The price tag for the first ten years will be a hefty one million dollars, but after 2035 will drop to about a thousand.
Alatorre has been working with engineers to design sustainable air, water, power, waste and life support systems to keep things comfortable for Voyager’s visitors. Alatorre said he will strive to protect their health, safety, and welfare by adhering to California’s green building guidelines and safety standards.
“There’s no building codes for space, but we’re taking the building codes that have been established…UBC (Uniform Building Code) and the California building code…and looking at ‘ok, what was the thought process? What was the intent of the code?’” Alatorre said.
Creators of the Voyager will also build modules for space labs and exploration scientists. The project is expected to bring thousands of jobs to various parts of the United States and reach high for the stars.
If you need to hire an architect to design your own personal mecca, be sure to verify their license by visiting the California Architects Board website at https://www.cab.ca.gov/.
