Aviation Week: some of Bigelows plans

[docm]

AvWeek....<br /><br />What's leaked so far is 3 multi-module space stations by 2015 and 3 flights/month to Bigelow facilities.<br /><br /><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p> ><br /> If Genesis II is launched successfully, Bigelow will have two modules aloft. The company's spectacular Las Vegas control room with 18 large wall mounted screens and several console positions is every bit as impressive as the International Space Station control room at the NASA Johnson Space Center. The space hardware and impressive control center means that Bigelow -- means business.<br /><br />Some commercial crew launch and resupply missions would fly from Cape Canaveral as new commercial launchers servicing Bigelow outposts and the International Space Station.<br /><br />The flights on vehicles like the SpaceX Falcon 9 could be a major new growth area for the Cape, using new systems that would take advantage of the shuttle workforce as shuttle missions halt going into 2011.<br /><br />But Russian launches or flights from Woomera, Australia, and other new commercial launch facilities are part of the plan that Bigelow will brief at Colorado Springs this week. The NASA Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) competitors SpaceX and Rocketplane Kistler will be heavily involved, as could other launcher/spacecraft concepts, including Russian Soyuz and, eventually, Chinese Shenzhou missions. Even outfits like Blue Origins could fly to Bigelow modules. <br /> /><br />We are working very intently on the transportation part even though we are the destination," Bigelow says. By 2016 the plan is for three flights per month going to Bigelow outposts.<br /><br />"Our company would contract with a transportation provider and we would essentially broker the transportation and the seats to our clients," he</p></blockquote> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[MeteorWayne]

Wow indeed!!<br /><br />We'll see what the real announcement is. I can't wait!! <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[spacester]

<img src="/images/icons/laugh.gif" /><br /><br />And this is just the leaked part! <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[rocketman5000]

Why 3 stations? Why not one larger station? What is the advantage?

 

[MeteorWayne]

"The Bigelow business plan will headline the National Space Symposium to be attended by 7,000 people in Colorado Springs, Col. this week. Company CEO Robert T. Bigelow briefed Aviation Week & Space Technology on the plan in advance. "<br /><br />So what do they mean by "this week". This week (which is ending) or next week.<br /><br />What is the announcement/PC date?<br /><br />Fine, I'll wade through the other threads <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /><br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[rocketman5000]

April 10th<br /><br />My birthday!!!

 

[MeteorWayne]

Thanx, I wandered through a few dozen threads and didn't find it <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /><br /><br />It's on the calendar now. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[rocketman5000]

It wasn't the main topic of the thread

 

[spacester]

<font color="yellow">Why 3 stations? Why not one larger station? What is the advantage?</font><br /><br />Different markets. Different environments required.<br /><br />Wild stab:<br /><br />Protein Crystals<br /><br />Life Sciences (Space Gardening)<br /><br />Pure Fun<br /><br />Metallurgy<br /><br />Ooops, that's four, sorry. <img src="/images/icons/laugh.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[docm]

<font color="yellow">Why 3 stations? Why not one larger station? What is the advantage?</font><br /><br />It says in the article that some facilities will operate mostly unmanned so experiments can run undisturbed by human induced vibrations etc. He's been listening to the lab rats.<br /><br />I can see why they were impressed with Bigelows mission control;<br /><br />Bigelow mission control 1<br /><br />Bigelow mission control 2<br /><br />Bigelow mission control 3<br /><br />Bigelow mission control 4 <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[rocketman5000]

Sorry about that, I should have read the whole article first I guess...

 

[no_way]

<blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p>Why 3 stations? Why not one larger station? <p><hr /></p></p></blockquote><br />Because you can launch the three on existing launchers. because you arent putting all your eggs in one basket.<br />because some customers might need a little privacy for their research .. lots of reasons.<br /><br />Its like asking, why have hundred restaurants in town, why not one big one ?

 

[subzero788]

The article mentioned putting the stations at different inclinations to satisfy different customers. For example, if a station is serviced by Soyuz/Progress it will need to be at a high inclination like the ISS, while one serviced by the Cape can get away with a lower inclination. <br /><br />One of the most exciting things about all this is the shear number of launches that will be required to support even one station--12 to 14 flights in their first year! Those sorts of numbers would make launching even on Atlas V's cheap! If this succeeds it will utterly transform the launch market and should produce a significant decrease in costs.

 

[docm]

Let's parse the contents a bit. First let's set a few baselines;<br /><br />a typical homes 12' x 14' x 8' ceiling bedroom: 38 cu/m.<br /><br />a 2 bedroom 1100 sq. ft apartment: 249 cu/m<br /><br />the current size of ISS: 425 cu/m.<br /><br />The station defined in the leak is a 3 module stack; 2 BA-330's and 1 Sundancer. They add up to 835 cu/m not counting the node. <br /><br />A 3 BA-330 station would be 990 cu/m.<br /><br />Then there's the ultimate; an all BA-330 stack filling the node save for the port used by the propulsion bus; 5 BA-330's for a total of 1,650 cu/m. <br /><br />And anything in between or even connecting multiple nodes/stacks. Tinker-Toys.<br /><br />Freakin' huge no matter which way you go.<br /><br />I can just hear someone hollering "not as much available power!" (as ISS)<br /><br />In interviews that was addressed by statements that the Bigelow units don't have the baseline power needs of the ISS modules plus if you look at their graphics each module has 3 large PV arrays attached to their distal docking collars. Comparing their lengths each array looks to be at least as long as a BA-330 module: ~45 feet long.<br /><br />There's also a big advantage to distributed power over centralized power: if one modules array fails or takes a hit the whole station isn't blacked out. <br /><br />I've attached a Bigelow pic that shows what appears to be a 3 BA-330 stack, PV's etc. Dunno if the big cylinder on the left is a propulsion bus or not, most likely it's a "customer module", but there is another pic that shows a good candidate. Next post. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[docm]

Here's that pic that shows what I think is the propulsion bus. It's on the left. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[subzero788]

Nice pics. The module on the left in the first one looks like a Russian FGB or service module. I'm guessing these images are old because I don't think Russian modules are on the table now, with sundancer taking over that role.

 

[Boris_Badenov]

This pic isn't as good quality as yours but it does show some of what he has in mind. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#993300"><span class="body"><font size="2" color="#3366ff"><div align="center">. </div><div align="center">Never roll in the mud with a pig. You'll both get dirty & the pig likes it.</div></font></span></font> </div>

 

[Boris_Badenov]

This one shows a little of how big a BA-330 is inside. For a better example go to a mobile home dealer & look at one that is as close to 80'x20' as you can get. The interior volume will be very close. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#993300"><span class="body"><font size="2" color="#3366ff"><div align="center">. </div><div align="center">Never roll in the mud with a pig. You'll both get dirty & the pig likes it.</div></font></span></font> </div>

 

[docm]

<font color="yellow">The module on the left in the first one looks like a Russian FGB or service module. I'm guessing these images are old because I don't think Russian modules are on the table now, with sundancer taking over that role.</font><br /><br />The first one <i>is</i> older, but the second only recently came across my radar. The object I'm presuming to be the "propulsion bus" in that image is also on their new desktop backgrounds, making me believe that it's current. <br /><br />One thing odd though; the "propulsion bus" on one of their backgrounds has <b>feet</b> mounted on what looks like an undercarriage (hydraulic leveling?) and what looks like a vertically mounted engine nozzle near its middle <img src="/images/icons/shocked.gif" /><br /><br />A thinly disguised version for use on a 4 module land-able moon base? You judge, but that would account for his statements in Cosmic Log. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[Boris_Badenov]

<font color="yellow"> One thing odd though; the "propulsion bus" on one of their backgrounds has feet and what looks like a vertically mounted engine nozzle near its middle <br /><br />A thinly disguised version for use on a 4 module landable moon base? You judge, but that would account for his statements in Cosmic Log. </font><br /><br />I suspect we will see a lot of equipment that is used in multiple configurations, just like the modules themselves. The modules used for orbital ops, surface bases or as a ships living/working space will be identical except for interior layout. From the pics I am guessing the propulsion bus will be used for maintaining orbit & attitude, in landing the surface bases & RCS in ship configuration. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#993300"><span class="body"><font size="2" color="#3366ff"><div align="center">. </div><div align="center">Never roll in the mud with a pig. You'll both get dirty & the pig likes it.</div></font></span></font> </div>

 

[docm]

Yup. It appears they're going fully modular, giving them the ability to fill standard frameworks with gear, engines etc. as the mission requires. <br /><br />McSpaceship <img src="/images/icons/tongue.gif" /> <br /><br />Below is a wider shot of the BA-330's insides. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[Boris_Badenov]

<font color="yellow"> McSpaceship </font>img src="/images/icons/laugh.gif" /><img src="/images/icons/laugh.gif" /><img src="/images/icons/laugh.gif" /><br /> We just earned the disrepect of the world community with that tag.<img src="/images/icons/frown.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#993300"><span class="body"><font size="2" color="#3366ff"><div align="center">. </div><div align="center">Never roll in the mud with a pig. You'll both get dirty & the pig likes it.</div></font></span></font> </div>

 

[baktothemoon]

Geez that's huge, it looks like an actual space station instead of a steel tube like the ISS.

 

[PistolPete]

That's what we could have had with Transhab had Congress not cancled it..... <img src="/images/icons/rolleyes.gif" /><br /><br />What's the opposite of progress? <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><em>So, again we are defeated. This victory belongs to the farmers, not us.</em></p><p><strong>-Kambei Shimada from the movie Seven Samurai</strong></p> </div>

 

[radarredux]

All I can say is, "Wow!"