Bigelow Aerospace Update Thread (2)

[baldusi]

I'd have thought a rationale for seven seats would be to allow for the possibility of rotating crews of six with a taxi business model rather than a rental-car model.  In other words, following arrival at the station with the new crew, the pilot immediately returns to Earth with the old one.

You'd still need a CEV, and the seats are custom fitted. You might make a swappable seats, though.

[Jason1701]

Found this new image in a lucky search.

Wow! Where was that, and are there more?

[docmordrid]

That was it, and checking it again this AM it tracked back to Ars.

http://arstechnica.com/science/2012/05/spacex-announces-deal-to-shuttle-tourists-to-private-space-stations/

and here's a zoomed & gamma adjusted shot of the LIDS & the presumed viewport (round area just above the solar array.)

[Orbital Debris]

Video of the latest test.

[krytek]

I'd have thought a rationale for seven seats would be to allow for the possibility of rotating crews of six with a taxi business model rather than a rental-car model.  In other words, following arrival at the station with the new crew, the pilot immediately returns to Earth with the old one.

who said pure commercial human transport will require a pilot?

[simonbp]

The pilot is specially trained for docking operations, presumably, as well as for emergency operations. Especially for a commercial station, you only want the minimum of training for the passengers, and so a professional pilot/skipper makes a lot of sense.

[krytek]

The pilot is specially trained for docking operations, presumably, as well as for emergency operations. Especially for a commercial station, you only want the minimum of training for the passengers, and so a professional pilot/skipper makes a lot of sense.

The craft can do all that without any need for a pilot.
In my mind what makes a bit more sense is an engineer to handle station maintenance, logistics, guidance && supervision, etc...

[QuantumG]

The craft can do all that without any need for a pilot.

And if it doesn't, the crew can just die up there, right?

[A_M_Swallow]

The pilot is specially trained for docking operations, presumably, as well as for emergency operations. Especially for a commercial station, you only want the minimum of training for the passengers, and so a professional pilot/skipper makes a lot of sense.

The craft can do all that without any need for a pilot.
In my mind what makes a bit more sense is an engineer to handle station maintenance, logistics, guidance && supervision, etc...

The station engineer would probably stay there for many months at a time.

[simonbp]

Then have a station engineer as skipper on each flight.

The point is, rather than the traditional NASA/Roscosmos model of all the crew having extensive training, the passengers on flights to a commercial station should only have the minimum of training (a week or less), while the skipper is a professional astronaut with the same level of training as a government astronaut. I doubt the insurance companies would allow to get away with anything less...

[Lurker Steve]

Then have a station engineer as skipper on each flight.

The point is, rather than the traditional NASA/Roscosmos model of all the crew having extensive training, the passengers on flights to a commercial station should only have the minimum of training (a week or less), while the skipper is a professional astronaut with the same level of training as a government astronaut. I doubt the insurance companies would allow to get away with anything less...

Let's assume there is some sort of permanent staffing level provided by Bigelow that performs station maintenance and daily chores, so that the paying customers can spend the rest of their day during research or whatever.

Do you really think it will take a week or less of training to prepare for even a relatively short stay of 2-4 weeks in Space ? Just a quick lesson on how to eat / sleep / bathe, and don't push the red button ?

[simonbp]

Do you really think it will take a week or less of training to prepare for even a relatively short stay of 2-4 weeks in Space ? Just a quick lesson on how to eat / sleep / bathe, and don't push the red button ?

Yes. And if it doesn't, Bigelow doesn't have a business case.

Speaking from personal experience (30 zero-g parabolas), it doesn't take you long to adapt to microgravity. And any scientists sent up will know their own instrument/experiment better than anyone could train them. So really, the training shouldn't be any more intensive than you would get for going to an Antarctic base.

[krytek]

Then have a station engineer as skipper on each flight.

Agreed, that's the best efficiency/safety compromise.

[Garrett]

So really, the training shouldn't be any more intensive than you would get for going to an Antarctic base.

This is way OT, but what is the training like for going to an Antarctic base?

[MikeAtkinson]

http://www.antarctica.ac.uk/staff/conference/introduction.php

[krytek]

http://www.astronauts4hire.org/p/training.html

If you go to the training you tab, you can see they have 2 training programs.
1 that can probably be completed in mere weeks, the other is a "professional" astronaut program which will probably take at least a few months to complete.
Maybe someone can find exactly how long each training program is.

[Ben the Space Brit]

That was it, and checking it again this AM it tracked back to Ars.

http://arstechnica.com/science/2012/05/spacex-announces-deal-to-shuttle-tourists-to-private-space-stations/

and here's a zoomed & gamma adjusted shot of the LIDS & the presumed viewport (round area just above the solar array.)

Ah! I see it now! I'm not convinced that it's an optical viewport as it's VERY far forward.  Could it be a HD camera feeding real-time video to the pilot?

[docmordrid]

Wouldn't surprise me - I've used remote vision manipulators in the past, and with stereo HD cams it's pretty darned good these days.

[Lurker Steve]

http://www.astronauts4hire.org/p/training.html

If you go to the training you tab, you can see they have 2 training programs.
1 that can probably be completed in mere weeks, the other is a "professional" astronaut program which will probably take at least a few months to complete.
Maybe someone can find exactly how long each training program is.

OK, there is one guy on that page who looks like Dr. Smith from Lost-In-Space. I am definately not getting anywhere near a spacecraft with him on board.

[Robotbeat]

That was it, and checking it again this AM it tracked back to Ars.

http://arstechnica.com/science/2012/05/spacex-announces-deal-to-shuttle-tourists-to-private-space-stations/

and here's a zoomed & gamma adjusted shot of the LIDS & the presumed viewport (round area just above the solar array.)

Ah! I see it now! I'm not convinced that it's an optical viewport as it's VERY far forward.  Could it be a HD camera feeding real-time video to the pilot?

Why the heck would it be just a camera? NASA requirements say they need an optical viewport for some reason (and apparently no amount of redundancy matters, and for whatever reason the viewport can't be on the hatch itself, according to NASA). So, SpaceX is complying. Probably a periscope or something.