A California-based start-up is opening the doors to lunar vacations, inviting affluent adventurers to reserve a stay at a hotel on the moon. Galactic Resource Utilization Space (GRU) announced on January 12, 2023, that it would begin accepting reservations, requiring a substantial deposit of $1 million for those eager to experience what the company claims will be “the first-ever permanent off-Earth structure.” The hotel is slated to welcome its first guests by 2032.
Founded by Skyler Chan, a recent graduate from the University of California, Berkeley, GRU aims to utilize innovative technology for constructing the hotel. The company plans to employ a proprietary system of habitation modules and an automated process to convert lunar soil into durable structures. Construction is expected to commence in 2029, contingent upon securing regulatory approvals.
The initial clientele for this ambitious venture is projected to include individuals who have participated in previous commercial space flights, as well as wealthy newlyweds seeking a unique honeymoon experience. Chan emphasizes that tourism will play a pivotal role in establishing a lunar economy, presenting what he describes as “the fastest path for humanity to become interplanetary.”
In a statement, Chan remarked, “We live during an inflection point where we can actually become interplanetary before we die. If we succeed, billions of human lives will be born on the moon and Mars and be able to experience the beauty of lunar and Martian life.”
Chan’s entrepreneurial journey began as part of the start-up accelerator Y-Combinator, which has helped him secure funding from investors, including those associated with SpaceX and Anduril, a defense technology company. The vision of establishing a permanent base on the moon aligns with broader U.S. aspirations for space expansion, as encouraged by the new NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman and supported by President Donald Trump.
In addition to the hotel, GRU has released a white paper detailing a strategic plan for expanding human presence on the moon. This initiative starts with the luxury hotel and aims to evolve into a more extensive settlement.
Chan, who has been fascinated with space since childhood, expressed his excitement about pursuing this ambitious project. “I’ve always wanted to become an astronaut and feel extremely fortunate to be doing my life’s work,” he stated. As the prospect of lunar tourism emerges, GRU is positioned at the forefront of a potentially transformative era in space exploration and habitation.
