Orion Span

Texas. Orion Span is developing Aurora Station, a modular space station solution intended for use by governments, industry, and private citizens.

Conceptual view of Aurora Station (center), with crew transportation vehicle (left) and notional cargo vehicle (right).

View of Aurora Station interior (VR development model).

Orion Span, a Houston-based space tech startup, has announced plans to launch the first-ever luxury space hotel into Earth's orbit by 2021. The company says the so-called Aurora Station will be ready to accommodate visitors the following year. (Related: "They Saw Earth From Space. Here's How It Changed Them.")

"We're not selling a hey-let's-go-to-the-beach equivalent in space," Bunger tells Bloomberg. "We're selling the experience of being an astronaut."

Orion Span will likely cater to private space tourists as well as government space agencies, Bunger says. A serial entrepreneur and former software engineer, Bunger has worked on other startups in the past, in addition to the seven-person Orion Span team. Combined, the team members have more than 140 years of experience in space.

If Aurora Station is successful, the company wants to launch identical modules and build a private space station. Long-term, the vision is to sell space.

Orion Span is an early-stage commercial aerospace company located in San Mateo California and Houston

Texas. Orion Span is developing a modular space station solution intended for use by governments, industry, and private citizens.

Orion Span, a Houston-based space tech startup, has announced plans to launch the first-ever luxury space hotel into Earth's orbit by 2021. The company says the so-called Aurora Station will be ready to accommodate visitors the following year. (Related: "They Saw Earth From Space. Here's How It Changed Them.")

"We're not selling a hey-let's-go-to-the-beach equivalent in space," Bunger tells Bloomberg. "We're selling the experience of being an astronaut."

Orion Span will likely cater to private space tourists as well as government space agencies, Bunger says. A serial entrepreneur and former software engineer, Bunger has worked on other startups in the past, in addition to the seven-person Orion Span team. Combined, the team members have more than 140 years of experience in space.

If Aurora Station is successful, the company wants to launch identical modules and build a private space station. Long-term, the vision is to sell space.