We have a #BishopAirlock update! Working very closely with @NASA and @BoeingSpace, #BishopAirlock is targeting launch to @Space_Station on @SpaceX CRS-21 next year! Manufacturing is near completion, and seal leak checks are complete at the @Thales_Alenia_S facility in Italy.
Quote from: FutureSpaceTourist on 04/17/2018 02:50 pmQuoteNanoRacks Commercial Space Station Airlock “Bishop” Completes Critical Design Review, Moves to Fabricationhttp://nanoracks.com/airlock-bishop-completes-critical-design-review/The Bishop Airlock is being discussed in the ISS section: https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=36955.0
QuoteNanoRacks Commercial Space Station Airlock “Bishop” Completes Critical Design Review, Moves to Fabricationhttp://nanoracks.com/airlock-bishop-completes-critical-design-review/
NanoRacks Commercial Space Station Airlock “Bishop” Completes Critical Design Review, Moves to Fabrication
They're also going to be doing... something on orbit with a Cyclone 4M upper stage. Debut launch of that isn't planned until 2021 though, so it can't be this mission https://www.maritimelaunch.com/news/2019-10-23/nanoracks-signs-agreement-canadas-maritime-launch-re-use-c4m-upper-stages-orbit
Nanoracks Announces In-Space Outpost DemonstrationNanoracks will be building a self-contained hosted payload platform that will demonstrate the robotic cutting of second stage representative tank material on-orbit. Never before has structural metal cutting been done in-space.As a member of the Outpost program team, Maxar will develop a new articulating robotic arm with a friction milling end-effector for this mission. This friction milling will use high rotations per minute melting our metal material in such a way that a cut is made, yet we anticipate avoiding generating a single piece of orbital debris.The mission is targeting a Q4 2020 dedicated rideshare mission, will fly on an ESPA ring, and will activate after the deployment of all other secondary payloads is complete.As our mission commences, we will have 30 minutes to one hour to complete the cutting of three metal pieces that are representative of various vehicle upper stages, including the Centaur 3. Nanoracks plans to downlink photos and videos of the friction milling and cutting.
This is exciting stuff.Now the technology to do this is being demonstrated. If this works, might SpaceX convert some of its F9 upper stages and compete with Bigelow for space station business? Or let’s say an SLS core stage or two gets orbited, those would make ginormous space stations or satellite factories. There are a lot of possibilities out there.
This is exciting stuff.I recall reading about the original plan for Skylab being a “wet workshop” launched into orbit with leftover fuel and that being drained and subsequently converted into the space station. Later there were discussions about converting Shuttle ET’s into space stations and other craft.Now the technology to do this is being demonstrated. If this works, might SpaceX convert some of its F9 upper stages and compete with Bigelow for space station business? Or let’s say an SLS core stage or two gets orbited, those would make ginormous space stations or satellite factories. There are a lot of possibilities out there.
Just finished year review. Our Bishop Airlock on track for SpaceX-21 August launch as permanent addition to ISS. In December our Mars Demo-1 technology testbed takes place on Falcon platform + all year the dozens of ISS payloads and satellites for customers. 2020 will rock!