Select Living Magazine Issue II | Page 47

- LIFESTYLE - colonization of the moon, as well as a resort that orbits Earth. China continues to work on developing technology that would make a trip around the world in 80 minutes instead of 80 days a possibility. Plans for this high end resort were revealed in 2009, but did not go past the planning stages. Plans have since been picked up by the US, Japan, and the United Arab Emirates as a future resort possibility. One of the biggest challenges in having an orbiting resort is that the average person will not be able to visit the resort because of the high price tag that will come along with a journey like this. Currently only 40,000 people in the world could afford the journey. Scientists are hoping that advancements in technology will allow a larger group of space enthusiasts the opportunity to visit this resort years down the road at a fraction of the original cost. With all the space and scientific advancements planned for the coming years the world as we know it is changing. Stretching our beliefs and understanding of the universe even farther than we could have imagined. The Mars One mission, and Moon colonization are only a sliver of the action that has been taking place right above our heads. Colonization of Mars during our lifetime is a very real possibility. Hopefully this opens up our younger generation to new advancements in science, space, and global cooperation as a whole.