Space tourism, without leaving the ground, is coming to Nevada in the form of Moon Resorts Las Vegas.
The Canada-based company Moon World Resorts Inc. has announced ambitious plans for an immense, immersive moon-themed hotel. They clearly plan their edifice to be a new signature landmark for a city rich in landmarks – the signature feature will be a 1/75,000 replica of the moon itself. The huge sphere, 735 feet tall, will hold 4,000 guest rooms and suites, an immense spa, 200,000-square-feet of restaurants, clubs, and bars, and 75,000-square-feet of retail space.
As well as the inevitable casino, the hotel-slash-moon will also hold a 2,500-seat theater, a planetarium, an event center, and an arena, all of it richly themed around space travel, science fiction, and an optimistic prediction of the future of extra-planetary life.
The highlight of the proposed property is going to be the “active lunar colony,” a themed-attraction taking up much of the top half of the sphere.
The colony will “precisely mimic those [lunar colonies] now under serious active planning by Nasa, ESA, and many others,” including a replicated lunar surface guests can drive a “moon buggy” around to explore.
“People want something unique, something different, something ‘Wow,’” Michael Henderson, co-founder of Moon World Resorts, Inc., told The New York Post. “Space tourism costs $200,000 to $250,000 – so the masses just can’t participate. With Moon [World Resorts], for $500, they can walk on an authentic lunar surface and enjoy exploring a lunar colony in a spectacular way.”
It’s unclear how solid these plans are, or if the builders of Moon World Resorts has yet purchased property to begin realizing their ideas. But according to their statement, would-be space travelers can look forward to setting foot on Moon Resorts Las Vegas in 2026 or 2027, with three more similar properties planned for the Middle East, China, and Spain.
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