At a Glance
- GRU Space is accepting $1 million deposits for the first Moon hotel, opening in 2032
- Company founded by 22-year-old Skyler Chan has backing from SpaceX and Anduril investors
- Testing begins 2029 with inflatable structures and lunar regolith bricks
- Why it matters: First off-planet tourism venture could kick-start lunar economy
GRU Space, a California startup founded last year by 22-year-old Skyler Chan, has opened applications for the first hotel on the Moon. Wealthy space tourists can secure a spot with a $1 million deposit, with stays priced above $10 million when the doors open as early as 2032.
From Startup to Lunar Resort
GRU Space-short for Galactic Resource Utilization-targets former commercial spaceflight participants and first-time thrill-seekers willing to vacation beyond Earth. The company argues that tourism is the fastest route to a self-sustaining lunar economy.
Investors from SpaceX and Anduril have already backed the young founder’s vision. Chan told Founded, “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.”
Three-Step Road Map
2029: Materials Demo
Using NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS), GRU Space will send an inflatable structure to the Moon. The payload will also test a process that converts lunar regolith into bricks.
Early 2030s: Pit Shelter
A second CLPS mission will place a larger inflatable inside a lunar pit-collapsed surface depressions that may offer warmer, more stable temperatures.
2032: First Guests
The inaugural hotel module, manufactured on Earth and delivered via CLPS, will host four guests at a time. Later phases will add more inflatable rooms encased in regolith bricks for radiation and thermal protection.
Price Tag and Application Process
GRU Space will start reviewing applications this year. Chosen applicants must place a deposit between $250,000 and $1 million, which is applied to the final bill. The company estimates the total cost of a stay will exceed $10 million.
Global Lunar Competition
NASA’s Artemis 2 crewed fly-by is slated for February, followed by Artemis 3’s surface landing in 2028. The agency plans to build Artemis Base Camp for long-duration astronaut stays.
China aims to land its first crew on the Moon by 2030 and construct a south-polar base around 2035. As governments map out permanent footholds, startups like GRU Space see tourism as a parallel commercial track.
Key Takeaways
- A 22-year-old entrepreneur has already secured aerospace heavyweight investors for the first lunar hotel
- $1 million deposits are being accepted now, with stays priced above $10 million for a 2032 opening
- GRU Space’s three-mission plan starts with a 2029 tech demo and ends with a four-guest inflatable module
- NASA and China’s Moon programs provide the infrastructure backdrop for private tourism ventures
