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SpaceNut

Administrator

From: New Hampshire

Registered: 2004-07-22

Posts: 29,317

Re: hot damn! Bigalow is up there!

Ok so the second one has been in orbit for a little while and it is just now a problem for sending up more. Like dah using a Dnepr boosters would have been the wrong answer from the start but then again choices, choices, choices.... Bigelow Space Modules: Sky High Plans Face Transportation Concerns

Bigelow announced an expedited schedule – one that skips an in-orbit flight of a module dubbed Galaxy...and fast forwarding directly to the much larger Sundancer – an expandable habitat capable of being boarded by humans.

"We still intend to construct and test the Galaxy spacecraft and/or various parts of it in order to gain familiarity and experience with critical subsystems. However, by eliminating the launch of Galaxy, we believe that Bigelow Aerospace can move more expeditiously to our next step by focusing exclusively on the challenging and exciting task presented by the Sundancer program," Bigelow reported.

So as I can figure there business model missed the financial point of how people would pay to get launched to the hotel in space...

SpaceNut

Administrator

From: New Hampshire

Registered: 2004-07-22

Posts: 29,317

Re: hot damn! Bigalow is up there!

Making progress

Space Florida and Bigelow Aerospace Join Forces to Explore Orbital Space Transportation Initiative

Bigelow Aerospace, whose goal is to revolutionize space commerce via the development of next-generation habitat systems, has already fabricated, launched, and deployed two pathfinder spacecraft, Genesis I and Genesis II, launched from Russia in 2006 and 2007 respectively. Due to the success of these two technology demonstrators (which are substantial spacecraft and weigh in at roughly 3,000 lbs. each), BA recently made the decision to expedite the construction of the ‘Sundancer’ the company’s first spacecraft capable of supporting a human crew.

However, no commercial, domestic option exists to support Bigelow Aerospace’s program, thus driving the need for an orbital transportation system to carry crew and cargo to and from LEO. To address this concern, Space Florida and Bigelow Aerospace have signed a letter of intent that commits both parties to further exploring collaboration on establishing a public-private fund to help promote new space transportation projects. Such an effort would potentially compliment NASA’s own Commercial Orbital Transportation Initiative (“COTS”).