Press Release
EQUIP Xavier Claramunt
GALACTIC SUITE
(Spain)
XAVIER CLARAMUNT: ‘TOURISM WILL BE THE DRIVING FORCE OF THE AEROSPACE INDUSTRY.’
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The architect, a specialist in space, has revealed that he is preparing a lottery to place in the hotel average people also
(Seoul Digital Forum, 8 May 2008). Barcelona architect Xavier Claramunt, founder and director of the space tourism company Galactic Suite, claims that the future of the aerospace industry lies in tourism rather than in military interests. ‘Let’s make tourism, not war!’
The architect added that the industry needs to take advantage of the power of tourism to move forward. ‘Tourism is closely related to people’s need to experience what they consider to be their ideal life. It is a way of making their dreams come true, even if only on occasion. People are driven by their dreams and the aerospace industry can greatly benefit from this.’
Claramunt, who today took part in the session ‘Privatising Space Exploration’ at the Seoul Digital Forum, revealed that the company Galactic Suite is working with its future construction partners on the technology which will guarantee access to outer space, although he pointed out that such access is already possible with the Russian Soyuz programme.
One of the main challenges facing the Barcelona-based company is to socialize space. ‘We have to bring space closer to people, find a place for it in their hearts.’ Claramunt cited Microsoft’s World Wide Telescope and Google Sky as examples of projects whose aim is to socialize space. ‘We have to convey the message that space is not only for astronauts, scientists and satellites,’ he said.
To this end, Claramunt announced that Galactic Suite will be setting up their own initiative to bring space to the people. He said that the company is working on the Galactic Suite Lottery to place in the hotel average people also.
Claramunt was joined in the session by Ann Druyan, co-writer of the Emmy-winning series Cosmos and CEO of Cosmos Studios; Scott Hubbard, professor at Stanford University’s Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics; and Hong-Yul Paik, president of the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI).
The theme of this fifth edition of the Seoul Digital Forum is ‘Imagination: Explore Time, Space and Beyond’, and examines how the power of imagination can bring about change and progress in areas such as technology, information, the media, entertainment and space.
Seoul Digital Forum is an international conference which aims to explore advances in the digital revolution and to help shape the future of the digital age.
Galactic Suite
Galactic Suite is a private space tourism company, set up in Barcelona in 2006, which aims to offer the world’s first space tourism experience. This will involve a period of intensive astronaut training combined with a relaxing programme of activities on a tropical island as part of the preparation process for the trip to space.
Its ultimate goal is to bring space tourism to the general public by developing the first worldwide chain of space hotels. It hopes that the first space hotel will be able to receive guests in 2012.