A California startup is giving would-be space travelers the chance to reserve their vacation on the moon in advance……..but it’ll cost them a pretty penny. It’s been 53 years since humans last set foot on the moon, with another crew set to launch in early 2026. While space colonization is still widely considered a science-fiction pipe dream, Galactic Resource Utilization Space (GRU Space) is getting ahead of the game in the hopes of being the first to make a profit. The tech startup hopes to build habitable dwellings on the surface of the moon. Their multi-phase plan includes testing inflatable structures in 2031, and eventually making hotels by 2032. According to their plan, these hotels would be built on earth and delivered by a heavy lander. Each module would be able to accommodate up to four people. Those interested in being one of the first humans to vacation on the moon will have to be rich enough to reserve their spot. GRU is taking minimal deposits of $250,000 up to $1 million, depending on which experience they choose. While full pricing has yet to be decided on, GRU says it could exceed $10 million. It’s not enough to hand over the cash, though; prospective astronauts will also have to submit an application. Once chosen, they will enter a private by-invitation-only auction tied to specific mission roles and lunar stays. Eventually, GRU Space hopes to create larger modular inflatable structures from lunar material that will attach together to form 10-person modules.
