QuoteIt also raises another question: why not make it an expendable inflated trash can to be taken down with Dragon?1- Dragon carries one empty BEAM in the trunk2- The inflatable module is moved to a docking port3- It stays there for as long as required, being loaded with high volume, low weight garbage4- Another Dragon visiting the station would take it on its trunk to be disposedOnce it's full of garbage how do you plan to stuff it back into the Dragon trunk?
It also raises another question: why not make it an expendable inflated trash can to be taken down with Dragon?1- Dragon carries one empty BEAM in the trunk2- The inflatable module is moved to a docking port3- It stays there for as long as required, being loaded with high volume, low weight garbage4- Another Dragon visiting the station would take it on its trunk to be disposed
Quote from: Prober on December 27, 2012, 13:11:04gaming revenue doesn't = profit.lol. Yes, less overhead and expenses. I just had a laugh imagining the poor sop who must repair an on orbit keno (30+ years), Madagaskar sweeping below, swearing to himself they weren't paying him enough.
End of life plan (BEAM) is similar to the disposal of the Early Ammonia Servicer. Using the arm to release the BEAM in such a manner as to cause deorbit. All portions would be expected to disintegrate on reentry.
QuoteQuote from: Prober on December 27, 2012, 13:11:04gaming revenue doesn't = profit.lol. Yes, less overhead and expenses. I just had a laugh imagining the poor sop who must repair an on orbit keno (30+ years), Madagaskar sweeping below, swearing to himself they weren't paying him enough. There were a couple of questions in the old thread that I had been meaning to address. Kind of falls under update, so without too much discussion:The projectors were checked out successfully on orbit. See Attached image.Space Bingo kind of worked, but required much cajoling, and the results were not all that spectacular. Therefore no pictures were released.Not quite as bad, but it wasn't very much fun trying to get Space Bingo to work through a ground link either.
Just to be mischievous:As I understand it, the content of an internet site is regulated by the country that its server is based in. What if you were to launch a Bigelow just as a floating data centre? Literally a part of the Internet that is not governed by any terrestrial law. Have it regularly visited for maintenance (maybe a second BA-330 as the engineer's workshop and spares store). I'm sure that there are some debatbly-ethical web-based businesses who would welcome such a facility and be willing to pay handsomely for the freedom it offers them to send an infinite amount of SPAM.I'm sure that it would only last for a while before someone comes up with a way to regulate it, which is all the more reason to book your space on the drives now before the loophole closes!
I'm not sure which thread to put this on either:Quote from: Orbital Debris on 01/14/2013 01:51 amEnd of life plan (BEAM) is similar to the disposal of the Early Ammonia Servicer. Using the arm to release the BEAM in such a manner as to cause deorbit. All portions would be expected to disintegrate on reentry. Have there been plans or serious thoughts toward using bigelow technology as something that could intentionally survive entry into Earth or Mars atmosphere (through materials choice or in-space coatings perhaps)? Inflatable, strong, relatively light-weight multi-use structures also lend themselves to ballutes for example (conventional, doughnut, or sausage)...
Quote from: go4mars on 01/14/2013 02:27 amI'm not sure which thread to put this on either:Quote from: Orbital Debris on 01/14/2013 01:51 amEnd of life plan (BEAM) is similar to the disposal of the Early Ammonia Servicer. Using the arm to release the BEAM in such a manner as to cause deorbit. All portions would be expected to disintegrate on reentry. Have there been plans or serious thoughts toward using bigelow technology as something that could intentionally survive entry into Earth or Mars atmosphere (through materials choice or in-space coatings perhaps)? Inflatable, strong, relatively light-weight multi-use structures also lend themselves to ballutes for example (conventional, doughnut, or sausage)...Yes.There may be some value in using inflatable structures to land on Mars.
Quote from: Danderman on 01/14/2013 02:42 pmQuote from: go4mars on 01/14/2013 02:27 amI'm not sure which thread to put this on either:Quote from: Orbital Debris on 01/14/2013 01:51 amEnd of life plan (BEAM) is similar to the disposal of the Early Ammonia Servicer. Using the arm to release the BEAM in such a manner as to cause deorbit. All portions would be expected to disintegrate on reentry. Have there been plans or serious thoughts toward using bigelow technology as something that could intentionally survive entry into Earth or Mars atmosphere (through materials choice or in-space coatings perhaps)? Inflatable, strong, relatively light-weight multi-use structures also lend themselves to ballutes for example (conventional, doughnut, or sausage)...Yes.There may be some value in using inflatable structures to land on Mars.It could be used on Earth as well.
Both Genesis habitats are 14.4 feet long by 8.3 feet wide (4.4 by 2.5 meters), with about 406 cubic feet (11.5 cubic m) of pressurized volume. The BEAM module that will be attached to the International Space Station in two years or so will likely be of similar size.
Space.com: Inflatable Private Space Stations: Bigelow's Big DreamQuoteBoth Genesis habitats are 14.4 feet long by 8.3 feet wide (4.4 by 2.5 meters), with about 406 cubic feet (11.5 cubic m) of pressurized volume. The BEAM module that will be attached to the International Space Station in two years or so will likely be of similar size.Is this part new info?
"The first inflatable product designed to support crew will be launched in late 2015 aboard a Falcon 9 rocket made by SpaceX. The module, known as the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module, will travel in the cargo hold of a Dragon spacecraft, also made by SpaceX, according to Bigelow" this was posted by businessweek in their article about the BEAM >http://www.businessweek.com/news/2013-01-16/nasa-goes-ikea-to-test-inflatable-annex-for-space-station