Earlier this year, Hotspring Spas and SpaceX announced that the payload for the upcoming launch of the Falcon Heavy program is an astronaut dummy they call “Spaman” nestled in a cutting-edge-designed spa from their Limelight Collection. The companies revealed their plans in a press conference at Cape Canaveral in April.
The plan was revealed two months after Elon Musk, founder of SpaceX, stunned the world by launching his Tesla into space with “Starman” at the “wheel” of the vehicle. During the announcement to an enthusiastic crowd, Musk explained that, HotSpring Spas, as well as SpaceX, is on the forefront of their industry, and both companies are trying to advance their technologies to new heights.
Spaman was the bright idea of Don Riling, Olympic Hot Tub owner/president, and friend of Elon Musk. Riling elaborated on the relationship, saying that he and Elon have known each other over 20 years. As it happened, while Musk was on vacation in Seattle, he took a soak in a newly designed spa model of the Limelight Collection, and marveled at its beauty and design. I joked that he should send one of our hot tubs into space, explained Riling. If he did, I told him, “We’d have extraterrestrials from all over the Milky Way flocking to Earth for a dip.” Musk loved the idea. That afternoon the pair, and Steve Hammock, the president of the parent company, Hot Spring Spas, were in conference discussing the mission.
Hammock stated, “Our hope is to spread wellness and goodwill to other planets in our galaxy. Whether to engender greater health or space travel, our efforts will have positive effects for generations ahead.”
The Hot Spring Spa Limelight hot tub’s control panel screen will say, Welcome to the Wellness Generation, to honor Olympic Hot Tub’s commitment to the health and well-being of its customers. Musk continued, “We had ‘Don’t Panic’ displayed on the screen of my Tesla for the first Falcon Heavy Launch, which got a big laugh. However, with a successful mission under our belt, we want the message to be a positive one. Olympic Hot Tub is a beacon of health and happiness; there is no better message to send out into the universe.”
The launch is scheduled for later this year.
