Today when you hear of space tourism, vacations in space etc. you’re hearing of ideas rooted in Ehricke’s introduction of the first space resort in the 1960s. He called it Astropolis, and presented it in a paper entitled “Space Tourism” in 1966.
Designed in exquisite detail and including a complete cost analysis, Astropolis would accommodate 1100 vacationers in Earth orbit. By the late 1970s, if he could’ve had his way.
Now, two Russian firms believe they’ll have the world’s first space hotel in orbit by 2016. Read about it and Ehricke’s Astropolis here.
http://www.responscom.com/russians-plan-first-space-hotel/551602/
You can also see a picture of Astropolis at
http://www.krafftaehricke.com/astropolis_1.php
