Space Accommodation Operations: Maximizing Efficiency in Orbital Facilities

The burgeoning commercial space tourism industry heralds a game-changing era that holds significance for hospitality management and space exploration. This chapter discusses the need for operational frameworks around any orbital accommodation facilities looking to be successful. Key focuses of this chapter include the convergence of new technologies with human factors and the human systems integration outlook to build the operational frameworks and systems needed to facilitate these facilities. An analysis of new space tourism developments—by design, a mash-up of artificial intelligence, modular construction, and closed-loop systems—reveals unique givens that are changing the game’s rules for operational efficiency in extreme environments. The study emphasizes the importance of predictive maintenance, resource optimization, and automated safety protocols in maintaining the sustainability of orbital facilities. We explore the unique economic challenges and potential space-based hospitality offers, such as dynamic pricing models and implementing cost control measures. The study also discusses the psychosocial aspects of prolonged habitation in space and the need for specialized training among space hospitality professionals. The results could pave the way for operational innovations developed in orbital hotels to provide future human space colonization with its fundamental building blocks and set new standards for operational efficiency in extreme environments. This research supports an understanding of the operation of space through commercial means and sustainability through the lens of both visitors and safety.