What do you make of this announcement by Bigelow?

[radarredux]

> <i><font color="yellow">The best place for a commercial space station is in the same orbit as the ISS ...</font>/i><br /><br />BTW, the latest news is that Russia wants to dismantle ISS after 2015 and build a new space station (apparently) at a different inclination. See the recent thread: Russia mulls new space station, missions to Moon, Mars</i>

 

[josh_simonson]

>"and perhaps skip the midsize 'guardian' demonstrator alltogether and build a demonstration BA 330 earlier. "<br /><br /> />I don't recall Bigelow mentioning that the Guardian demonstrators were cancelled. <br /><br />He said they have made a bold decision and will announce it this winter... So there hasn't been an announcement, speculating on that is the whole purpose of this thread! <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /><br /><br />I'd think that starting from scratch the best orbit for exploration would be at 23.5'. That's the tilt of the earths axis and would result in the station always being in the plane of the rest of the solar system, and the moon is only 5' off that plane. Alternately 28.4' is convenient for KSC and provides lunar windows, while being close to 23.5'.<br /><br />A near 0' space station would be ideal for on-orbit assembly and satelite servicing since it would have the easiest access to the GEO orbits.<br /><br />What would be the purpose of high inclination space stations? Launches are less efficient and ISS gets complaints of being too high an inclination as it is. Tourists might enjoy it a bit more if it flew over more of the world, and it would be a bit more useful for earth observation, but earth observation isn't as compelling as the other two possibilities (most of the money is in GEO and exploration).

 

[nacnud]

<font color="yellow">What would be the purpose of high inclination space stations?<br /><br /><font color="white">Larger number of launch sites.</font></font>

 

[ldyaidan]

Ok...I've been hanging out at SDC way too long. Had a dream last night about a ring of Bigelow inflatables, all the way around the Earth, spinning in conjunction with the Earth for artificial gravity. Started of with a couple of modules, and as more and more people/companies bought them, they just kept hooking them together.... LOL<br /><br />Rae

 

[nyarlathotep]

"Larger number of launch sites."<br /><br />Large number of CHEAP (non-american vehicles) launch sites.

 

[frodo1008]

Good post! And I also have absolutely no objections to individual Bigelow types of free standing space station and modules being sent up in the meantime to be used for reesearch facilities!<br /><br />But, like yourself I do hope that somebody (even pure commercial efforts such as Bigelow, let alone NASA or other entire governments) is at least thinking about the NEXT major station in the manner that we both support!<br /><br />Live Long and Prosper!

 

[scipt]

Isn't Bigelow a dwarf Gigolo? Proabably turn it into a floating massage parlour. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[Boris_Badenov]

I am beginning to think Bigelow has signed a contract with SpaceX for transportation of people & supplies to his station modules<img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /><img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /><img src="/images/icons/smile.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>

 

[PistolPete]

That would violate Bigelows's "Americas Space Prize". Besides, now that SpaceX won the NASA COTS contract, they are no longer elidgeable for the prize. <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>

 

[voyager4d]

<blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p>That would violate Bigelows's "Americas Space Prize". Besides, now that SpaceX won the NASA COTS contract, they are no longer elidgeable for the prize. <br /><p><hr /></p></p></blockquote><br />Sooo? The ASP is just one way of trying to get cheaper human access to low earth orbit. <br />Remeber that winning the ASP is not equal to getting a contract with Bigelow.<br />Bigelow will make contract with that company that can make cheap and secure human access to his station. And that could well be SpaceX.

 

[Boris_Badenov]

From the SpaceX newsletter I received today. <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /><br /><br />Since we already have three Falcon 9 launches on contract, the NASA flights will probably represent the 4th, 5th and 6th flights of Falcon 9, but will definitely be the first three flights of the Dragon spaceship. In addition to servicing NASA needs, I expect that F9/Dragon will also be of service to Bigelow Aerospace, which recently had a very successful flight of their sub-scale commercial space station. Bigelow Aerospace and SpaceX have an ongoing dialogue to ensure that F9/Dragon meets the human transportation needs of their planned space station as efficiently as possible.<br /><br />Elon doesn’t want to win the ASP, he wants the contract. <img src="/images/icons/cool.gif" /><br /> <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>

 

[rybanis]

Interesting!<br /><br /><br />Let us hope all goes well with the Falcon 1 launch coming up! <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[PistolPete]

Well, I guess I was wrong.<br /><br />At least there is someone out there working on an alternate manned access to space.<br /><br />It makes me feel as excited about manned spaceflight as I was in the late 90's. <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>

 

[MeteorWayne]

You think that was exciting?<br /><br />Now the 60's were really exciting, as we took our first steps into space. <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /> <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>

 

[alokmohan]

1957,sputnik was the most thrilling break throgh.The USSR led the world followed by US astronomer Van allen :explorer 1.

 

[Boris_Badenov]

News Updates; Bigelow Aerospace Plans Important Announcement <br /><br /><font color="orange"> February 12, 2007 - 4:48 p.m. PDT<br /><br /><br />Founder Robert T. Bigelow to Reveal New Information at National Space Symposium<br /><br />Las Vegas, NV 02/12/07– We will be making a very important and exciting announcement at the National Space Symposium on the week of April 9 in Colorado Springs, and we hope you will plan to be in attendance.<br /><br />For the first time, we will be presenting our business plans that we have kept to ourselves until now. This information that we plan to announce on April 10 at the Ball Aerospace Exhibit Center should help support the private space movement.<br /><br />We look forward to seeing you there.<br /><br />- Robert T. Bigelow<br /><br /> </font><br /><br /> Okay, here is a new one. Any guesses? <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]

Genesis I is exceeding every expectation they had for it including less UV damage than expected, minor orbit degradation and little leakage. <br /><br />From that and the positive, almost giddy, tone of the announcement I'd guess a further acceleration of their schedule plus an even closer relationship with LockMart/ULA. The tone of the SpaceX statement certainly sounded to like they're worried of such an arrangement. <br /><br />If I wanted to really go out on a limb I'd speculate a non-Dragon capsule might be part of the package. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[Boris_Badenov]

<font color="yellow"> From that and the positive, almost giddy, tone of the announcement I'd guess a further acceleration of their schedule plus an even closer relationship with LockMart/ULA. </font><br /><br /><font color="yellow"> If I wanted to really go out on a limb I'd speculate a non-Dragon capsule might be part of the package. </font><br /><br /> LockMart/ULA certainly have the money & the expertise to bang out an LEO taxi in the 5 months since the original announcement. I kind of doubt they did though. I think that LockMart/ULA has finished the study on what it will take to man rate the Atlas 5 or they have contracted with Bigelow to launch the first man rated Bigelow module earlier than expected. <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>

 

[dreada5]

ULA?

 

[Boris_Badenov]

ULA? <br />United Launch Alliance <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]

<font color="yellow"> No way is anybody going to man-rate something new that fast. <br /> </font><br /><br /> Unless they already had something in mind & maybe some existing hardware.<br /><br /><font color="yellow"> They could be on orbit just about the time that the Two passenger Soyuz flies. That ALMOST makes financial sense. </font><br /><br /> Two total, or two plus a pilot? I haven't heard of this, do you have a link? <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>

 

[dreada5]

<blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p>The tone of the SpaceX statement certainly sounded to like they're worried of such an arrangement. <br /><p><hr /></p></p></blockquote><br /><br />What statement?

 

[Boris_Badenov]

Bigelow added Astronauts to their list of Career Opportunities yesterday. On this page. Something really big is up this time. I think ULA has a design for an orbital taxi & they are going to introduce it at the conference. <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]

I think that assessment is very close to correct. <br /><br />Things definitely seem to have reached critical mass on the Bigelow front, and they look to be taking others with them. <br /><br />What would be the odds of ULA, Bigelow and SpaceX (Dragon) getting together on a total system? <br /><br />One would normally think that SpaceX would keep Dragon to themselves, but with their schedule slipping a bird in the hand (Dragons for sale) might be attractive. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[Boris_Badenov]

I didn't think of that, & I really don't think ULA would go for it. They are going to want to build their own stuff, employ their own people, net all the profits themselves. <br /> SpaceX is going to be some serious competition, but not for a few years more. <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>