Any information about this year's Bigelow launch

[hk8900]

According to information last year, Bigelow aerospace is going to launch their first test module in Q1 2006<br />The launch will be carried out by a Russian Dnepr Launch Vehicle<br />Anyone has information about the launch?<br />Or maybe they're not going to launch it within Q1?

 

[shoogerbrugge]

I think that Q1 2006 is out of the question. The first Dnepr launch is scheduled for Q2, but thats a cluster launch of various small satellites for universities and countries like Egypt and Belarus.<br /><br />The Bigelow module could be launched later in Q2 from the new Russian cosmodrome Yasny. But this is an unconfimed launch date, meaning everything could change. I can think of two reasons why the launch could be delayed, first is that the cosmodrome has to be readied. It has never been used for satellites launches. So a Hotel, cleanroom and other infrastructure is being build. The other reason is that the module is delayed at Bigelow, but their website still hold on to a Q1 launch in 2006.

 

[shuttle_rtf]

We might be able to get something from the Russian side - I'll ask our Russian people and post anything that comes back, here.

 

[thinice]

From what I read recently in the "Vedomosti" newspaper, it is not a cosmodrome, but rather a site with old missile silos. It is an undertaking of militaries that do not want to share profits with RSA. There is no place to work with payload, no hotel, no good road for civil vehicles and no airport capable of accepting international flights nearby. They are currently trying to fix this. Two launches for Bigelow are planned for April and August this year.

 

[hk8900]

"Two launches for Bigelow are planned for April and August this year."<br />Do you have the primary source of this piece of information? Thanks

 

[thinice]

Unfotunately, no. It is only a newspaper article, which in turn refers to an unnamed local authority.