Nature reports 'Inflatable spaceship set for test flight'

[nacnud]

Nature is reporting that a new type of inflatable spaceship is currently nearing testing next month. It is different in principle to bigelow’s evolved transhab were the inflatable section increases the habitable volume of the craft, in this case the inflatable sections of the spaceship are the heat shield and a inflatable parachute for atmospheric re-entry.<br /><br />The full story can be found here<br /> <br />The system is being desgined by Return & Rescue Space Systems GmbH. There is more information on their website.

 

[najab]

Finally someone is testing the 'Ballute' idea. A similar system has been proposed for returning the SSME's if they build a partially reusable Shuttle-C system.

 

[rybanis]

As I was reading this I kept thinking of the areobreaking scenes from <i>2010</i>. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[halman]

nacnud,<br /><br />This could give a whole new meaning to the phrase 'I blew up my spaceship.'<br /><br />Sometimes, I get the feeling that, many years down the road, kids are going to be plasmaboarding back from space. What seems horribly dangerous and difficult at the beginning often ends up being a piece of pie. ("Cake.") <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> The secret to peace of mind is a short attention span. </div>

 

[nacnud]

I think my favourite 'insane' concept for this kind of thing has got to be the moose or manned orbital operations safety equipment. Any how here is the details I'm off avalanche surfing in Antarctica, smoke me a kipper I'll be back for breakfast.<br /><br />I would love to see how much the incorporation of inflatable technology, could change the design of man rated spacecraft. With increases in on orbit volume and a decrease in the mass of the heat shield some very interesting possibilities might be opened up.<br /><br />

 

[radarredux]

> <i><font color="yellow">Finally someone is testing the 'Ballute' idea.</font>/i><br /><br />A number of the promotional photos for the "Da Vinci Project" X Prize effort used to show a similar system for returning their rocket. I looked at their web site today (http://www.davinciproject.com/), but I couldn't find a picture of it on their system. I think the "V" in "da vinci" on their splash/home page is suppose to capture the idea.<br /><br />I did find some of the old pictures on the X Prize site however.<br /><br /></i>

 

[halman]

nacnud,<br /><br />Isn't it hard to keep those kippers lit?<br /><br />Adding an inflatable hang glider to the back pack of the plasmaboard dude/ette would allow for landing at the rave of your choice. A solar sail could be used to lose velocity to start re-entry.<br /><br />No half-pipes, though. But the season would be year-round! <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> The secret to peace of mind is a short attention span. </div>

 

[scottb50]

A very good idea, except, they don't reduce payload, they further reduse it. Now taking the engines to orbit and transfering them back to Earth is better and taking payloads to minimal orbits, transfering payloads and returning payloads is even better. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[JonClarke]

The Russian experiment was called Fregat. The inflatable heat shield worked reasonably OK (c0nsidering it was a first test). Obviously a very promising technology.<br /><br /><br />See http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/637184.stm<br /><br />http://www.spacedaily.com/news/cluster2-00b.html<br /><br />http://esapub.esrin.esa.it/bulletin/bullet103/marraffa103.pdf<br /><br />Jon <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Whether we become a multi-planet species with unlimited horizons, or are forever confined to Earth will be decided in the twenty-first century amid the vast plains, rugged canyons and lofty mountains of Mars</em>  Arthur Clarke</p> </div>

 

[backspace]

"What seems horribly dangerous and difficult at the beginning often ends up being a piece of pie. ("Cake.")"<br /><br />Wonderful.<br /><br />Now, about MOOSE. Anyone know of exisiting pictures of the prototypes or testing?