New Mars Forums

Palomar

Member

From: USA

Registered: 2002-05-30

Posts: 9,734

Re: Genesis Pathfinder - ...Bigelow Aerospace

*From space.com's "Astronotes" (column format and frequently updated, so will copy and paste):

Thoughts on this??

***
May 3

Space Inflatable Project Eyed by Bigelow Aerospace

Here's a big idea…meant to get bigger once in space.

An inflatable space structure project is moving forward at Bigelow Aerospace of North Las Vegas, Nevada. Tagged as the Genesis Pathfinder, the hardware is now slated for launch late next year.

Once in Earth orbit, the one-third scale hardware is to produce important data regarding multiple features of a full-scale spacecraft.

The Bigelow Aerospace work is led by entrepreneur Robert Bigelow, owner of Las Vegas-based Budget Suites of America Hotel Chain.

The space firm is keen on spurring private ownership and use of space stations by making habitable space modules affordable for corporate communities. Under several agreements with NASA, Bigelow is drawing upon NASA's TransHab inflatable structures program, although the private company is pioneering its own design.

NASA's TransHab(Click to Enlarge)

"Our goal is to create a new cost paradigm for space station construction. We intend to so reduce costs of station habitable structure as to make the difference between space stations being only government available or having space stations affordable for general business ownership," explains the company's website.

Bigelow Aerospace confirmed to SPACE.com that the Genesis Pathfinder module would be lofted by a Falcon 5 booster, provided by Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX). That launcher is a derivative of SpaceX's Falcon 1 rocket, now set for maiden flight mid-year.

Bigelow Aerospace has executed a launch agreement with SpaceX and "money has changed hands," said Mike Gold, corporate counsel for the company. No details regarding price or conditions of sale or now available, he added.

The purpose of lofting the Genesis Pathfinder on the Falcon 5 is to embark on an aggressive regime of launching subscale spacecraft demonstrators that will test systems and subsystems in actual on-orbit microgravity environment, Gold said.
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--Cindy

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We all know [i]those[/i] Venusians: Doing their hair in shock waves, smoking electrical coronas, wearing Van Allen belts and resting their tiny elbows on a Geiger counter...

--John Sladek (The New Apocrypha)

Rxke

Member

From: Belgium

Registered: 2003-11-03

Posts: 3,669

Re: Genesis Pathfinder - ...Bigelow Aerospace

heehee... look at this http://www.newmars.com/forums/viewtopic … 4]slightly misleading topic title...

Palomar

Member

From: USA

Registered: 2002-05-30

Posts: 9,734

Re: Genesis Pathfinder - ...Bigelow Aerospace

heehee... look at this http://www.newmars.com/forums/viewtopic … 4]slightly misleading topic title...

*Whoopsie...   

Thanks for pointing it out, Rik.    And just when I think I'm keeping up really well with new threads and etc.

--Cindy

P.S.:  Hey Adrian, how about a -blushing- emoticon?

---

We all know [i]those[/i] Venusians: Doing their hair in shock waves, smoking electrical coronas, wearing Van Allen belts and resting their tiny elbows on a Geiger counter...

--John Sladek (The New Apocrypha)

Rxke

Member

From: Belgium

Registered: 2003-11-03

Posts: 3,669

Re: Genesis Pathfinder - ...Bigelow Aerospace

Well, to your defense, the (Flashgordon's) topic title *is* misleading...

I'm in doubt now where to post further follow-ups, though, "here" ("correct" title) or "there" (First one to point it out...)

Hey Adrian, what about a "confused" emoticon?  )