Introduction to GRU Space and its Ambitious Plans
Civilian travel to the Moon remains years away, but a California startup, GRU Space, is already making plans to host overnight guests there. Founded by 22-year-old entrepreneur Skyler Chan, GRU Space is taking deposits ranging from $250,000 to $1 million for a lunar hotel that has yet to be built. Skyler Chan launched GRU last year. Courtesy GRU Space
GRU Space’s Vision and Mission
Chan founded GRU with the goal of building the first permanent structure off Earth. His team includes founding technical staff member Kevin Cannon, a professor at the Colorado School of Mines, and advisor Robert Lillis, who also serves as associate director for planetary science at UC Berkeley’s Space Sciences Laboratory. The startup has received seed funding from Y Combinator, joined Nvidia’s Inception Program, and counts SpaceX and Anduril among its investors. According to Chan, “If we solve off-world surface habitation, it’s going to lead to this explosion. We could have billions of human lives maybe born on the Moon and Mars.”
The Lunar Hotel Project
The hotel, which the company expects to open by 2032, will initially consist of an inflatable structure designed to accommodate up to four guests for multi-day stays. Over time, it would evolve into a brick building inspired by San Francisco’s Palace of Fine Arts. GRU’s initial target customers include adventurers, repeat spaceflight participants, and couples looking to elevate their honeymoon plans. While final pricing has not been set, the company said a stay would likely cost more than $10 million and require a $1,000 non-refundable application fee. 
A rendering of GRU’s lunar hotel. Courtesy GRU Space
Future Plans and Ambitions
GRU says it is well-positioned to contribute to the nation’s lunar ambitions, with plans that extend far beyond a single hotel. After completing its lodge, the company plans to build roads, warehouses, and other infrastructure—first on the Moon, then on Mars. Eventually, it hopes to reinvest profits into resource utilization systems on the Moon, Mars, and asteroids. According to Chan, “If we’re able to understand how to use resources on the Moon and Mars and beyond, that is going to enable us to not be tethered to Earth, and start being interplanetary.” Chan acknowledged that GRU’s timelines are estimates, but argued that bold ambition is necessary to make progress. “We need to really shoot for the literal moon,” he said.
Conclusion and References
GRU Space’s plans align with broader government goals, as lunar tourism has emerged as a focus of U.S. space policy. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman recently outlined the nation’s plans to construct a permanent base on the Moon by the end of the decade. For more information on GRU Space and its ambitious plans, visit Here.
Image Source: observer.com
