Author Topic: Bigelow Aerospace - anything new? (Read 14664 times)

Benny · « **on:** 03/29/2006 02:55 pm »

Hi,

just wanted to ask if there are any news about Bigelow Aerospace out there.
Are they still planning to launch in 2006 ?
They changed their provider from Spacex to a russian/ukranian based company but
I haven´t heard anything since then...

Thanks.

Crispy · « **Reply #1 on:** 03/29/2006 03:15 pm »

They're just about the most secretive of all the alt.space guys. The barest of barebones website, no PR, hardly any press. If anything comes to light, it'll probably pop up here, but I've not heard anything recently.

braddock · « **Reply #2 on:** 03/29/2006 03:57 pm »

Quote

Benny - 29/3/2006 9:55 AM
They changed their provider from Spacex to a russian/ukranian based company but
I haven´t heard anything since then...

I thought they had added the Dnepr test launch in addition to the SpaceX test, and that they were just going to do two test flights instead of one. They still have a Falcon 9 flight on the SpaceX manifest for Q1 '08; I think that is for the second Genesis test. I haven't been following Bigelow very closely though.

I think Bigelow really needs SpaceX to succeed not just with low cost cargo flights, but eventually low cost manned flights. I don't think they'll bail from SpaceX unless a more viable competitor emerges; every resort destination needs an airline.

anik · « **Reply #3 on:** 03/29/2006 04:20 pm »

Quote

Benny - 29/3/2006 6:55 PM

Are they still planning to launch in 2006?

Yes!...

Their Genesis-1 satellite will be delivered at Dombarovsky (Orenburg region, Russia) on May 15 and launched by Dnepr rocket later (possibly in June)... Genesis-2 launch is planned on Dnepr in 2006 also...

Benny · « **Reply #4 on:** 03/29/2006 04:53 pm »

Does the Genesis-1 have any function or is it merely a test-version to
try inflation systems etc...

anik · « **Reply #5 on:** 03/31/2006 04:39 pm »

Quote

anik - 29/3/2006 8:20 PM

launched by Dnepr rocket later (possibly in June)

June 13...

josh_simonson · « **Reply #6 on:** 03/31/2006 07:24 pm »

It's going to test the inflation systems in-situ and also moitor to make sure that it doesn't leak over time. They will probably also monitor the temperature, insulative qualities, radiation, and other things that are difficult to simulate on earth. It's easy enough to test one of these in a vacuum chamber, but getting thermal and radiation performance data on earth would be much more difficult.

CEV Now · « **Reply #7 on:** 03/31/2006 11:09 pm »

Good luck to them, they are an interesting conceptual company that we really could see turn into "metal in the sky" - as much as it won't be metal

Benny · « **Reply #8 on:** 04/17/2006 11:40 am »

The Website of Bigelow Aerospace has been updated

www.bigelowaerospace.com

Does anyone know more about the America´s Space Cup?
50 Mio Dollars seem to be a very high jackpot compared with the Ansari X Prize.

Jim · « **Reply #9 on:** 04/17/2006 11:54 am »

Quote

Benny - 17/4/2006 7:40 AMThe Website of Bigelow Aerospace has been updated www.bigelowaerospace.comDoes anyone know more about the America´s Space Cup?50 Mio Dollars seem to be a very high jackpot compared with the Ansari X Prize.

Orbital flight. Bigelow needs a ride to his spacestation

braddock · « **Reply #10 on:** 04/17/2006 01:08 pm »

Quote

Benny - 17/4/2006 7:40 AM
The Website of Bigelow Aerospace has been updated

Looks a lot more pragmatic than their old site, with that big-old picture of their sign so that you know they are a real comany.

Quote

Does anyone know more about the America´s Space Cup?

This contest rule seems a little restrictive; any likely competitor now would be taking NASA COTS money (aka SpaceX). I wonder if they'll change it.

The Competitor must not accept or utilize Government development funding related to this Contest of any kind,

josh_simonson · « **Reply #11 on:** 04/25/2006 07:52 pm »

SpaceX probably can't do the 20% or less expendible part very easilly - they'd have to fast track a re-useable second stage. They may not be able to refurbish a falcon 9 heavy in the time frame allowed either. I imagine there'd have to be bean counters monitoring how much gear is thrown out during the refurbishment process... Yuck.

bad_astra · « **Reply #12 on:** 05/31/2006 12:56 am »

Yeah. I imagine America's Space Prize is really more of a token PR gesture then anything else. Unlike the CATS or X-Prize, no one is going to win it anytime soon, and even if they did, $50 million would be a tiny drop in a big bucket. Proffitability of that kind of system would be more important in the long run. If Bigelow is going to make his hotel work, he will either have to do it with expendables for now, or else Blue Origin (the REALLY secrative alt.space company) is going to have to pull a deus-ex-machina for him.

Tap-Sa · « **Reply #13 on:** 05/31/2006 07:40 am »

Quote

josh_simonson - 25/4/2006 11:39 PM

SpaceX probably can't do the 20% or less expendible part very easilly - they'd have to fast track a re-useable second stage.

No need for re-useable second stage for meet the 20% requirement. The combined dry mass of both the spacecraft and the first stage would most certainly be more than 80% of total dry weight.

braddock · « **Reply #14 on:** 07/11/2006 04:49 pm »

Alan Boyle is running a little blog feature on Bigelow in anticipation of the Genesis-1 launch due tomorrow.
http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2006/07/10/998.aspx

Benny · « **Reply #15 on:** 07/11/2006 07:27 pm »

Are there any Details on their launch goals (except for getting their payload into Space

) ?

braddock · « **Reply #16 on:** 07/11/2006 10:39 pm »

From an MSNBC article when the launch was delayed last month:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13171475/

"The Genesis 1 payload will be a one-third-scale model of an inflatable habitation module that could form the backbone of an orbital facility for space tourists and commercial space researchers sometime in the next decade. NASA experimented with the concept early in the international space station program, but budget cuts forced them to terminate research. Bigelow Aerospace has picked up that approach and has perfected the technology, observers say."

edkyle99 · « **Reply #17 on:** 07/12/2006 06:10 pm »

Nothing on the payload from Bigelow yet.

braddock · « **Reply #18 on:** 07/12/2006 06:14 pm »

Good article by Alan Boyle, MSNBC: http://msnbc.msn.com/id/13828908/
Strangely still no new info on the Bigelow web site...

general · « **Reply #19 on:** 07/12/2006 09:17 pm »

They're a small company, so we shouldn't expect constant updates on their website.

zinfab · « **Reply #20 on:** 07/13/2006 02:56 am »

congrats Bigelow!

JesseD · « **Reply #21 on:** 07/13/2006 02:59 am »

and their website says the inflation and deployment of the solar arrays was successful!

looking forward to images??!

wannamoonbase · « **Reply #22 on:** 07/13/2006 02:52 pm »

Yes indeed, Congrats and looking forward to images.

Well done showing the spirit of innovation and desire to succeed. Who knows where this will go, but certianly its nice to see non government developments fly (for less than billions of dollars)

Benny · « **Reply #23 on:** 07/13/2006 03:09 pm »

All reports flowing from Bigelow Aerospace Mission Control in Las Vegas indicate that the inflatable private space station Genesis-1 is enjoying operational success with booster ascent, inflation, solar array deployment, full power, digital camera transmissions, and GPS track.

Bigelow Aerospace executives indicate that the mission is exceeding expectations following the Wednesday launch from the Russian Urals. Americans are generally unaware of the private space station effort lead by hotel magnet billionaire Robert T. Bigelow. The event marks a historic milestone in space commercialization.

http://www.spaceports.blogspot.com/

Avron · « **Reply #24 on:** 07/13/2006 06:20 pm »

And then not a word... whats up?

hyper_snyper · « **Reply #25 on:** 07/13/2006 06:51 pm »

Quote

Avron - 13/7/2006 2:07 PMAnd then not a word... whats up?

Maybe they're waiting for another pass?

EDIT: I just realized there are three threads on this subject. One in news, one in private space, and one here in Russian launches.

SpacemanSpiff · « **Reply #26 on:** 07/13/2006 08:41 pm »

You can find some very interesting information and a video showing the inside of the Bigelow Vegas facility here:
http://www.klastv.com/Global/story.asp?S=5143575

But it's not because I have any connection......
Enjoy!

SpacemanSpiff

mastronaut · « **Reply #27 on:** 08/23/2006 01:22 am »

ROBERT BIGELOW OF BIGELOW AEROSPACE WILL BE THE GUEST FOR A SPECIAL SPACE SHOW PROGRAM, THURSDAY, AUGUST 24, 2006 STARTING AT 7 PM PACIFIC TIME. More info here: www.thespaceshow.com

Zachstar · « **Reply #28 on:** 08/25/2006 04:40 am »

Very cool to hear him on the air. Thanks for the heads up!

braddock · « **Reply #29 on:** 08/25/2006 12:17 pm »

Strange, I can't find any information about the show featuring Bigelow on the http://www.thespaceshow.com web site. Was the interview not in the course of the normal show? Or was Bigelow on the Aug 24th AIAA broadcast and just isn't listed in the description?

I often download The Space Show mp3's to listen. It is often interesting.

mastronaut · « **Reply #30 on:** 08/25/2006 08:16 pm »

braddock, you can find it here: http://www.thespaceshow.com/detail.asp?q=543

braddock · « **Reply #31 on:** 08/25/2006 09:08 pm »

Thanks! Listening to it now. Great show so far.

mastronaut · « **Reply #32 on:** 08/25/2006 09:15 pm »

Glad I could help!

Benny · « **Reply #33 on:** 08/26/2006 09:16 am »

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n0608/25bigelow/

braddock · « **Reply #34 on:** 08/26/2006 11:03 am »

Bigelow had been hinting at this major change in direction for the company, and a big announcement coming up, in the Space Show interview too.

I liked his response the question "How did you fix the tumbling attitude control problem of Genesis-1" - his answer went along the lines of "For me it was easy. I just walked into the control room and said 'Guys, I hear you have a problem with the attitude control. I want you to fix it, now!'".

Mogster · « **Reply #35 on:** 08/30/2006 09:28 pm »

Quote

braddock - 26/8/2006 11:50 AM
Bigelow had been hinting at this major change in direction for the company, and a big announcement coming up, in the Space Show interview too.

I bet Richard Branson would like Virgin logo's on the side of Bigelows next test modules. "Virgin Galactic, first in the space hotel business" or something similar.

I wouldn't be amazed if that's what's about to happen, now Bigelow has a nicely working prototype there's less chance of public embarrasment. Irc Rutan made the early Spaceship one flights without Virgin logos.

astrobrian · « **Reply #36 on:** 08/30/2006 09:32 pm »

They waited to unviel the logos because the companys exsistance wasn't official until just before the first X prize flight took place. And agreed, I fully believe that Bigelow and Scaled/Virgin will be working together. Seems like a natural fit to me unless Burt has a design for a station of his own we are unaware of

braddock · « **Reply #37 on:** 08/30/2006 09:55 pm »

Virgin SS2 has only 1/40th the energy necessary to get to a space station - and they won't get there without a more diverse set of partners than Scaled Composites. But, I guess if they prove the market, and get a brand image going, anything is possible...

However, I had the impression from the Space Show interview that this future announcment was related to launch or on-orbit science services. Bigelow mentioned it in response to a question about flying laboratory payloads if I recall correctly.

astrobrian · « **Reply #38 on:** 08/30/2006 10:01 pm »

I didn't mean SS2, sorry, I was thinking more its successor, SS3?
He did say in the interview he had plenty of payloads in line wanting to be flown by them, not sure the percentage that were scientific though, he didn't go into that.
I guess one could go back and forth about the possible link ups between company A B C or D. it's fun to dream too

A man rated Falcon 9 and a cargo Falcon 9 launching a Bigelow inflatable Skylab type, that would be good

Zen Punk · « **Reply #39 on:** 09/02/2006 02:57 pm »

Quote

astrobrian - 30/8/2006 2:48 PM

I didn't mean SS2, sorry, I was thinking more its successor, SS3?

Anything in the "SpaceShipX" line is going to be suborbital. The design isn't scalable to orbital energies.

As far as I know Scaled has never designed true spacecraft so I wouldn't hold your breath.

astrobrian · « **Reply #40 on:** 09/02/2006 03:36 pm »

I was just using the SS3 name as an example, for orbital I am sure they would change the name of the craft.
Up until a few years ago they hadn't designed a suborbital craft either. Burt Rutan also tends to keep a tight lid on his designs until well into the design process. SS2/WK2 has been on the drawing boards for a few years, but only next month are we the pubic going to get a first glimpse of anything flight hardware related. So if a "true" space craft is being designed, you and I wont know about it for a while.

SpacemanSpiff · « **Reply #41 on:** 12/12/2006 04:31 pm »

NEW UPDATE on website:
2 articles detailing the living organisms to be flown on the Genesis II flight in January.

http://www.bigelowaerospace.com/index.php

hancider · « **Reply #42 on:** 12/14/2006 02:33 pm »

Wasnt there some sort living organism experiment on Genesis I. I never heard anything about it after launch but i thought there was something on board anyone remember. Also I wonder why we haven't had anymore pics of the outside and inside of Genesis I the ones they had were pretty cool but what happened to them I hope nothing has gone wrong with the cameras or the spacecraft itself. All I have seen are those where in the world pics but those could have also come from ISS. Anyone have any info about this too I hope that Bigelow does well but they are very secretive about the status of their craft I think.

JesseD · « **Reply #43 on:** 12/14/2006 04:26 pm »

Quote

Wasnt there some sort living organism experiment on Genesis I? I never heard anything about it after launch but i thought there was something on board anyone remember.

I think I recall hearing that because the module was stored for a couple of months b/c of different delays, etc., anything live had died by launch time.

-EDIT: Tags. bah.