Elon Musk plans 2018 moon trip for two intrepid space tourists
by Tom Anstey | 01 Mar 2017
Musk’s SpaceX is the biggest competitor to Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic, with both companies in competition to capitalise on the potentially super-lucrative space tourism industry
The space tourism race is well underway, after SpaceX CEO Elon Musk revealed two customers will be going on a flight around the moon as soon as late 2018.
The wealthy pair will spend a reported US$70m (€66m, £56m) on the trip, with the anonymous individuals soon to begin training for the endeavour.
The journey will cover 400,000m (644,000km) and will take a week to complete, with the pair “slingshotted” around the moon and then returned to Earth. According to Musk, the mission would be completed on autopilot, with the passengers travelling unaided by an experienced astronaut.
"Like the Apollo astronauts before them, these individuals will travel into space carrying the hopes and dreams of all humankind, driven by the universal human spirit of exploration," said Musk. "We expect to conduct health and fitness tests, as well as begin initial training later this year."
Musk’s company is the biggest competitor to Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic, with both companies in competition to capitalise on the potentially super-lucrative space tourism industry.
In December, Branson’s newest commercial spacecraft took to the skies for its first free flight since a fatal crash of the VSS Unity’s predecessor in 2014. Once commercial flights are in operation, the six-man spacecraft will cost the hefty sum of US$250,000 (€232,000, £196,000) per person to fly, with around 700 people already signed up for flights.
For those who can’t afford the fee, a multi-million dollar visitor experience at Virgin’s Spaceport America in New Mexico offers a hands-on, authentic experience inside the commercial space launch facility.
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The space tourism race is well underway, after SpaceX CEO Elon Musk revealed two customers will be going on a flight around the moon as soon as late 2018. The wealthy pair will spend a reported US$70m (€66m, £56m) on the trip, with the anonymous individuals soon to begin training for the endeavour. The journey will cover 400,000m (644,000km) and will take a week to complete, with the pair “slingshotted”
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Sea Lanes opens following a partnership between The Eden Project and Canary Wharf Group
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Bas Smets brings water and wilderness to Vitra
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by Magali Robathan | 19 Jun 2026
“For 5,000 years humans have been emotionally moved by artworks, but the relationship has always flowed in one direction,” said Refik Anadol, artist and co-founder of the world’s first AI art museum. “While developing Dataland we asked ourselves, ‘Is it possible for artworks to feel us back?’” Dataland, the Museum of AI Arts, opens on June 20 2026 at the Frank Gehry-designed Grand LA in Downtown Los Angeles. Its inaugural
London Museum reveals 2026 opening date for new Smithfield home
by Magali Robathan | 19 Jun 2026
The London Museum’s new site will open in Smithfield, East London, on 28 November 2026. The new museum, designed by Asif Khan and Stanton Williams, alongside conservation architects Julian Harrap, will tell the story of London and its history, and will also act as a social space for residents and visitors. Items on permanent display will include the vest worn by King Charles I at his execution, Emmeline Pankhurst’s hunger
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by Liz Terry | 04 Jun 2026
Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) has unveiled its design for Eve Music Hall in Čepin, eastern Croatia, as construction progresses towards completion ahead of the opening, which is scheduled for March 2027. The 10,000sq m venue is being developed as a new cultural, entertainment and events destination for the Slavonia region and is BIG's first completed project in Croatia, as well as its first completed music performance venue. Designed to accommodate
Bob Rogers hands BRC to long-serving leadership team
by Liz Terry | 04 Jun 2026
Experience design company, BRC Imagination Arts, has completed a transition that sees founder Bob Rogers pass ownership of the business to four long-serving senior executives, while remaining actively involved with the company. Ownership has transferred to president Carmel Lewis, chief creative officer Christian Lachel and vice presidents of story and creative, Brad Shelton and Matthew Solari. The move formalises a leadership structure that the company says has been operating in
Palazzo di Varignana launches family wellbeing and longevity retreat in Emilia Romagna
by Helen Andrews | 22 Jun 2026
Palazzo di Varignana, in the Emilia Romagna region of Italy, has created a new tailored health programme designed specifically for families. Families with young children can visit the 650-hectare estate, located near Bologna, to experience a retreat designed by the resort’s scientific director, Dr Annamaria Acquaviva. A dietitian and expert in mindfulness and longevity science, Acquaviva has created the programme to help children and teenagers build healthy and lasting habits.
Anasa Wellness and Spa debuts at Patmos Aktis as it joins Marriott
by Helen Andrews | 22 Jun 2026
Patmos Aktis, a Luxury Collection Resort and Spa, has opened in Greece, with a renovated and rebranded wellness offering called Anasa Wellness and Spa. The property, which is located on the southeast side of Patmos Island in Grikos Bay, is owned by the Greek investment fund SMERemediumCap (SMERC). The resort has now completed a full renovation to reposition itself in the Luxury Collection brand category for Marriott International. This brand
Design-led Koru Health Club combines high-performance training with recovery
by Kath Hudson | 22 Jun 2026
Koru Health Club launched recently within Luxembourg’s multi-experience destination, GRID X, which combines culture, retail and hospitality. The club combines high-end sports facilities with a strong sense of community in an ultra-modern space. UK-based interior designers, Zynk, delivered the interior architecture and brand identity for the 27,000sq ft club. The vision was to create a premium fitness and wellness destination that blends high-performance training with restorative experiences to create a
Wellness care hospital opens in Vilnius with innovative spa and hospitality concept
by Helen Andrews | 03 Jun 2026
Lithuanian care operator Addere Care has launched a “wellness care hospital” in Vilnius. It's the company’s second Lithuanian site, following a hospital in Trakai, but the first to offer professional medical care in a spa resort environment. The new 4,400sq m facility has been developed within a reconstructed former hotel. It features 160 rooms and a day care centre that can accommodate up to 12 patients at a time. The
Universal and Puy du Fou projects point to rise of Oxford–Cambridge corridor
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A proposed Puy du Fou development near Bicester and Universal Destinations and Experiences’ planned resort in Bedford are emerging as part of a wider transformation of the Oxford–Cambridge Growth Corridor into a major centre for UK leisure and tourism investment.
For years, the corridor has been associated primarily with science, technology, housing and university-led economic growth. However, the clustering of large-scale visitor attraction projects along the
All-inclusive eco-wellness development Auko to open near Vietnam’s Son Doong caves
by Helen Andrews | 28 May 2026
Auko, an all-inclusive development, is opening in Phong Nha in Vietnam in Q3 2026, with a series of 30 tented eco-lodges and wellness hospitality operations by Lumina Wellbeing. Van Phu Real Estate Development JSC owns the property, which is set along the Son River in the UNESCO-listed landscape of Phong Nha–Ke Bang National Park. The site borders the world’s largest cave system by volume (38.5 million cubic metres), the Son
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