Moon Hotels by 2032? A Bold Startup's Plan for Lunar Tourism

A new startup called GRU Space has announced plans to build the first hotels on the Moon. The company aims to launch tourist missions as early as 2032, with test flights scheduled before then. Founded by a UC Berkeley graduate and backed by Y Combinator, the project is already accepting registrations for future trips.

GRU Space was established by Skyler Chan, who graduated from UC Berkeley. The startup has secured early funding from Y Combinator, a well-known accelerator. Its goal is to create inflatable lunar accommodations for two to four people, with each trip costing around $416,000.

Test flights to refine key technologies are planned for 2029 and 2031. The company's website is taking preliminary bookings for a $1,000 deposit. Later phases will introduce larger hotels, inspired by San Francisco's Palace of Fine Arts, capable of hosting up to 10 guests at a time for about $83,000 per person.

The company points to falling space launch costs, driven by SpaceX, as a major factor in making lunar tourism feasible. GRU Space also expects growing competition in the space services market to push prices down further. At least a dozen private firms—including Blue Origin, SpaceX, Axiom Space, Intuitive Machines, and Firefly Aerospace—have already announced plans for commercial lunar missions or infrastructure projects between 2021 and 2026.

GRU Space's timeline includes test flights in 2029 and 2031, followed by the first tourist missions in 2032. The company's early bookings and phased hotel designs suggest confidence in the project's future. If successful, it could mark a significant step in making lunar travel accessible to private individuals.