Author Topic: Bigelow Aerospace Update and Discussion Thread (4)  (Read 80424 times)

Offline yg1968

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Re: Bigelow Aerospace Update and Discussion Thread (4)
« Reply #200 on: 03/29/2021 06:57 pm »
See also:

Quote from: Joey Roulette
Bigelow Aerospace, which closed operations last year at the beginning of the pandemic, is accusing NASA of withholding a $1 million contract payment for testing work on its B330 moon module, according to a lawsuit the company filed last week.

For work done between 2019-2020, Bigelow says it sent NASA three separate demands for payment between December and last month, but a NASA contracting officer asked for more data and a meeting at HQ before paying them out. Bigelow says that violates their contract

https://twitter.com/joroulette/status/1376607265474682882

Online edzieba

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Re: Bigelow Aerospace Update and Discussion Thread (4)
« Reply #201 on: 03/30/2021 11:57 am »
Dispute seems to be down to what constitutes "test data". NASA expects raw data (e.g. big table of timestamped pressure transducer values), Bigelow wants to provide a summary report.

Offline jpfulton314

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Re: Bigelow Aerospace Update and Discussion Thread (4)
« Reply #202 on: 06/20/2021 08:22 pm »
I just placed a phone call to the phone number on the Bigelow Aerospace web page.  The recording stated that their normal business hours are M - Th 8:00am to 5:00pm, and Fridays 8:00am to 3:00pm.

Offline Robspace54

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Re: Bigelow Aerospace Update and Discussion Thread (4)
« Reply #203 on: 08/31/2021 05:38 pm »
Does anyone have any information on the size (length, width) of the Genesis 1 and Genesis 2 solar arrays? 
All I can find is that the forward panels are long and skinny (perhaps 2m x .4m) and the aft ones wider and shorter (perhaps 1.12m x .67m).

The write ups say GaAs cells but no more than that. Who supplied them to Bigelow?

I am trying to build a scale model of G1.

Thanks.

« Last Edit: 08/31/2021 06:02 pm by Robspace54 »

Offline Ronsmytheiii

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Offline yg1968

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Re: Bigelow Aerospace Update and Discussion Thread (4)
« Reply #205 on: 12/12/2021 09:53 pm »
https://twitter.com/to0ast/status/1470112109149175810

Quote from: Sole Source Solicitation
Description

NASA/JSC has a requirement for engineering support services for the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM) metallics/structures to ensure continued usage of the BEAM on the International Space Station (ISS).  This service includes on-call support in the event of anomalies and/or issue resolution impacting the BEAM and/or ISS interfaces to the BEAM.

NASA/JSC intends to issue a sole source contract to ATA Engineering, Inc. starting as early as the first quarter or the second quarter of Fiscal Year 2022 to support BEAM on-orbit operations.

Since inception of the BEAM, ATA Engineering Inc. has worked directly as a partner with Bigelow Aerospace (BA) during the initial design, development, and test verification of the BEAM. ATA’s specific responsibility during BEAM development was to verify the primary and secondary metallic structures of the BEAM for all ground, launch, and on-orbit environments. This was successfully accomplished through a combination of analysis and testing. As part of this support, ATA developed and maintained all the finite element models (FEMs) of the BEAM structure and ATA performed all the necessary strength, dynamics, fatigue, and fracture analyses using these FEMs. Following the successful commissioning of BEAM on ISS in April 2016, ATA developed FEMs of a new internal configuration of BEAM to support stowage of cargo on the internal secondary structure members. ATA also supported BA through various analyses to demonstrate that the life of the BEAM structure could be extended from its original two-year mission to beyond the life of ISS out to 2032 under the BEAM Sustaining Engineering Contract with Bigelow Space One, LLC.

Aside from BA, ATA is the only company with unique familiarity with and access to the structural design of BEAM and is the only company that has been granted access by Bigelow Aerospace/Bigelow Space One, LLC to the BEAM data, models and analysis methods used to design and sustain the BEAM. Consequently, ATA is uniquely qualified to support the engineering sustainment of BEAM on a sole source basis.

In December 2021, Bigelow Space One, LLC transferred title and ownership of the BEAM to NASA Johnson Space Center.

To continue critical support of the BEAM with a minimal gap in services, the Government plans to enter into a sole-source contract with ATA Engineering Inc. ATA will provide a baseline level of support in the form of anomaly resolution support for BEAM metallics/structures. ATA will perform engineering services for the metallics and structures of the BEAM and recommend corrective action(s) to NASA and its support contractors This includes the initial assessment of the failure conditions, risks to hardware, failure analysis to identify probable/root causes and recommended resolution actions.  ATA shall perform the anomaly resolution tasks when requested by NASA to support Mission Evaluation Room (MER) meetings. In addition, ATA will perform failure investigation, future life extension assessments, unique analysis, feasibility studies, and other work to maintain BEAM operability.

Firms desiring consideration are required to fully identify their interest and capabilities within 7 days of the date of publication of this synopsis.

The Government intends to acquire a commercial item service using FAR Part 12.

Interested organizations may submit their capabilities and qualifications to perform the effort electronically via email to the identified Primary point of contact not later than 4:30 p.m. Central Standard Time on December 17, 2021.  Such capabilities/qualifications will be evaluated solely for the purpose of determining whether or not to conduct this procurement on a competitive basis.

A determination by the Government not to compete this acquisition on a full and open competition basis, based upon responses to this notice, is solely within the discretion of the Government.

https://sam.gov/opp/220ac7db7bef4b4085636f3cd65dc5c2/view
« Last Edit: 12/13/2021 12:06 am by yg1968 »

Offline AS_501

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Re: Bigelow Aerospace Update and Discussion Thread (4)
« Reply #206 on: 12/12/2021 10:11 pm »
Unfortunate news about Bigelow.  I was hoping they would get a order some day for a BA-2100, perhaps launched on FH or the like.
Launches attended:  Apollo 11, ASTP (@KSC, not Baikonur!), STS-41G, STS-125, EFT-1, Starlink G4-24, Artemis 1
Notable Spacecraft Observed:  Echo 1, Skylab/S-II, Salyuts 6&7, Mir Core/Complete, HST, ISS Zarya/Present, Columbia, Challenger, Discovery, Atlantis, Dragon Demo-2, Starlink G4-14 (8 hrs. post-launch), Tiangong

Offline Vultur

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Re: Bigelow Aerospace Update and Discussion Thread (4)
« Reply #207 on: 12/13/2021 02:43 am »
I wonder who owns the inflatable module/habitat IP now?

Offline su27k

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Re: Bigelow Aerospace Update and Discussion Thread (4)
« Reply #208 on: 12/13/2021 03:18 am »
I wonder who owns the inflatable module/habitat IP now?

I think the patent already expired?

Offline russianhalo117

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Re: Bigelow Aerospace Update and Discussion Thread (4)
« Reply #209 on: 12/13/2021 03:59 am »
I wonder who owns the inflatable module/habitat IP now?

I think the patent already expired?
The company's IP, patents, assets et al were purchased by what is now Sierra Space and an undisclosed entity at a private sale. The effective date for transfer of ownership are the same date except with BEAM which required following a different transfer process to the US government.
« Last Edit: 12/13/2021 03:59 am by russianhalo117 »

Offline Steven Pietrobon

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Re: Bigelow Aerospace Update and Discussion Thread (4)
« Reply #210 on: 12/13/2021 05:59 am »
Well, their website is still up, but hasn't been updated in over two years. The domain name expires on 15 April 2023.
Akin's Laws of Spacecraft Design #1:  Engineering is done with numbers.  Analysis without numbers is only an opinion.

Offline clongton

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Re: Bigelow Aerospace Update and Discussion Thread (4)
« Reply #211 on: 12/13/2021 04:24 pm »
Sad news about the demise of Bigelow Aerospace. I had been hoping against hope that it would survive and thrive, but at least the work continues thru Sierra Space.
Chuck - DIRECT co-founder
I started my career on the Saturn-V F-1A engine

Offline TrevorMonty

Re: Bigelow Aerospace Update and Discussion Thread (4)
« Reply #212 on: 12/13/2021 04:49 pm »
Sad news about the demise of Bigelow Aerospace. I had been hoping against hope that it would survive and thrive, but at least the work continues thru Sierra Space.
Probablevictem of COVID. Lockdowns and reduce travel would've hit Bigelows motel business hard.

Sent from my SM-T733 using Tapatalk


Offline Tomness

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Re: Bigelow Aerospace Update and Discussion Thread (4)
« Reply #213 on: 12/13/2021 05:19 pm »
Sad news about the demise of Bigelow Aerospace. I had been hoping against hope that it would survive and thrive, but at least the work continues thru Sierra Space.

I was wondering were they were getting their inflatable tech. I guess they are buying the IP to keep from getting infringement law suits.

Offline RonM

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Re: Bigelow Aerospace Update and Discussion Thread (4)
« Reply #214 on: 12/13/2021 07:14 pm »
Sad news about the demise of Bigelow Aerospace. I had been hoping against hope that it would survive and thrive, but at least the work continues thru Sierra Space.

I was wondering were they were getting their inflatable tech. I guess they are buying the IP to keep from getting infringement law suits.

Any of the TransHab patents they licensed from NASA would have expired by now, but Bigelow IP would still be under patent. Good thing it was purchased, so work can continue.

Unfortunately for Bigelow, commercial crew and commercial space stations took too long.

Offline meekGee

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Re: Bigelow Aerospace Update and Discussion Thread (4)
« Reply #215 on: 12/15/2021 12:48 am »


Sad news about the demise of Bigelow Aerospace. I had been hoping against hope that it would survive and thrive, but at least the work continues thru Sierra Space.
Probablevictem of COVID. Lockdowns and reduce travel would've hit Bigelows motel business hard.

Sent from my SM-T733 using Tapatalk

Not any more so than my long dead grandma...  They were dead a long time before that bat laid eyes on that pig...
ABCD - Always Be Counting Down

Offline Comga

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Re: Bigelow Aerospace Update and Discussion Thread (4)
« Reply #216 on: 12/18/2021 08:30 am »
Sad news about the demise of Bigelow Aerospace. I had been hoping against hope that it would survive and thrive, but at least the work continues thru Sierra Space.
Probablevictem of COVID. Lockdowns and reduce travel would've hit Bigelows motel business hard.

Sent from my SM-T733 using Tapatalk

Not any more so than my long dead grandma...  They were dead a long time before that bat laid eyes on that pig...

I dont have a clue what that last bit means, but meekgee is right.
Bigelow Aerospace was the victim of Robert Bigelow.  He was never going to be able to lead an aerospace engineering firm. 
They did good stuff for a while.
An intern on one of my projects many years ago got a job there (after I told her about it), got some great experience, (met a bright colleague whom she married) and moved on before excessive poop hit the fan.
If you still were hoping for great things from Bigelow, you just weren’t paying attention.
What kind of wastrels would dump a perfectly good booster in the ocean after just one use?

Offline Ronsmytheiii

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Re: Bigelow Aerospace Update and Discussion Thread (4)
« Reply #217 on: 01/07/2022 10:31 pm »
The Sierra Life Module uses ILC Dover Inflatable module technology, developed independently from Bigelow:

Quote
Q:This looks a lot like a Bigelow design. Did they make the inflation part or did you copy their technology?
A:No, the LIFE habitat is not a copy of the Bigelow design. The LIFE habitat uses commercially available Vectran material and is based on ILC Dover's Tunnel Plug technology. Sierra Space is partnered with ILC Dover to develop the habitat. ILC Dover has extensive experience in inflatable systems.

https://www.sncorp.com/what-we-do/life-habitat/

Offline yg1968

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« Last Edit: 01/22/2022 05:57 pm by yg1968 »

Offline yg1968

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Re: Bigelow Aerospace Update and Discussion Thread (4)
« Reply #219 on: 01/22/2022 12:00 am »
Bigelow Aerospace transfers BEAM space station module to NASA:
https://spacenews.com/bigelow-aerospace-transfers-beam-space-station-module-to-nasa/

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