MOSCOW ~ Russia has Thursday a satellite designed to test the feasibility of the world’s first space hotel, the brainchild of a Las Vegas hotel tycoon who hopes to begin construction in 2011, officials said.

The Genesis-2 satellite is a smaller version of the Nautilus orbital station, which US tycoon Robert Bigelow wants to offer as a dream holiday destination for tourists of the future.

Bigelow aims to build the hotel, which would consist of several inflatable modules, by 2015 at an estimated cost of US$500 million.

Before the launch of its full-scale BA330 prototype, Bigelow Aerospace is sending up a series of satellites, called Genesis and Guardian, to test the strength of inflatable structures and other processes.

One previous satellite was launched last year.

The Genesis-2 satellite was shot into orbit last week by a Dnepr rocket designed on the basis of an intercontinental ballistic missile.