Most people’s idea of a weekend getaway might be a break in the Cotswolds, Devon or perhaps Provence. A select group of well-heeled adventurers, however, may soon be able to aim higher: three nights in a hotel in space.

The new breed of tourists will see the Sun rise 80 times during their stay, the Spanish tour operator says, but it admits that the bill for the journey of a lifetime will be an astronomical £2.7 million.

According to Galactic Suite Space Resort, would-be stargazers are already queuing up to don their spacesuits, with more than 200 people having expressed an interest and 43 made reservations.

If the project has something of a Trekkie fantasy about it, it is because it started life as a hobby for Xavier Claramunt, a space enthusiast and chief operating officer of Galactic Suite. A former aerospace engineer, Mr Claramunt says that his company is at the forefront of the emerging industry of space tourism. “It is normal to think that your children, perhaps within 15 years, could spend a week in space,” he insists.

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