"In 1952 Collier's magazine published an article detailing aerospace engineer Wernher von Braun's vision for a space station, promising a spot where scientists and even tourists could stay within the next 10 or 15 years."
"Thirty-two years after that, the company revived the idea with a new plan to build a space station hotel out of recycled space shuttle external fuel tanks."
"Eight years after that, Barron Hilton died at the age of 91. A year after that, Bigelow's aerospace company laid off its entire workforce."
"I share this history in part because I am acutely aware of the risk a magazine takes when it promises readers they will soon be able to vacation in space."
Wernher von Braun's 1952 vision for a space station was followed by Barron Hilton's orbiting hotel idea in 1967. Hilton's company later proposed a space hotel using recycled shuttle tanks. Robert Bigelow invested in inflatable space stations, predicting a habitat by 2016. Despite these efforts, no space hotel has been built. The history illustrates the challenges of delivering on promises of space tourism, while also highlighting the intersection of luxury goods and innovative science.
Read at www.scientificamerican.com
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