Bigelow Aerospace

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Bigelow Aerospace

Type	Private
Founded	1999
Founder	Robert Bigelow (Founder and President)
Headquarters	Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Industry	Aerospace
Products	Orbital facilities
Employees	120 (2006)
Slogan	Join the Adventure!
Website	BigelowAerospace.com

Bigelow Aerospace is a Las Vegas, Nevada, space technology startup company that is pioneering work on expandable space station modules.

An expandable module is a space structure that has a flexible outer shell, allowing conservation of diameter for launch. Once in orbit, the module is inflated to allow for greater work, play and living area for astronauts. Expandable modules initially were proposed and designed by the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) under the Transhab program. After cancellation of the Transhab program, Bigelow Aerospace entered into three Space Act agreements whereby Bigelow Aerospace is the sole commercializer of several of NASA's key expandable module technologies.

1 Module design
2 Proposed module launch timeline
3 Genesis I Launch
4 Fly your stuff program
5 Honors
6 See also
7 References
8 External links

[edit] Module design

Model of the proposed Nautilus module.

The company intends to develop a family of prototype and production space station modules, including: the Genesis I, a one-third scale prototype module weighing approximately 3,000 pounds (1,360 kg), with approximate dimensions of 14.5 feet (4.4 meters) in length and 5.25 feet (1.6 meters) in diameter, expanding to nearly twice the diameter once in orbit^[1]; the Galaxy, a 45% scale prototype module; and the BA 330, a full-scale production module weighing approximately 50,000 pounds (23,000 kg) when fully loaded, with dimensions of approximately 45 feet (13.7 meters) in length and 22 feet (6.7 meters) in diameter when expanded.^[2] The BA 330 was formerly referred to as the Nautilus.

Contrary to many expectations, Bigelow Aerospace anticipates that its inflatable modules will be more durable than rigid modules.^[3] This is partially due to the company's use of several layers of vectran, a material twice as strong as kevlar, and also because, in theory, flexible walls should be able to sustain micrometeorite impacts better than rigid walls.

Bigelow Aerospace planned to launch the initial Genesis I module in November 2005 on the maiden launch of the SpaceX Falcon 5 rocket. This launch was delayed to Q4 2006 and subsequently to Q1 2008.^[4]^[5] In the meantime, the initial Genesis I flight was switched to the Kosmotras Dnepr rocket.^[6] On July 12, 2006, the launch of the first Genesis I module took place from ISC Kosmotras in the Orenburg region of Russia. Bigelow Aerospace has contracted to launch as many as six Bigelow station modules between 2006 and 2008 at intervals of 7 to 8 months.^[7] In 2008, Bigelow plans to launch the larger BA 330 module.

Expected uses for Bigelow Aerospace's expandable modules include microgravity research and development and space manufacturing. Other potential uses include space tourism, such as modules for orbital hotels, and space transportation, such as components in spaceships for Moon or Mars manned missions. The company plans to sell BA 330 modules for US$100 million apiece. Bigelow also plans to launch by 2010 an orbital resort, tentatively called the CSS (Commercial Space Station) Skywalker.

Bigelow Aerospace was founded by Robert Bigelow and is funded by the fortune Bigelow gained through his ownership of the hotel chain Budget Suites of America. Bigelow has stated that he is prepared to fund Bigelow Aerospace with about US$500 million through 2015.

[edit] Proposed module launch timeline

Bigelow has scheduled a number of module launches in the coming years. Bigelow reserved six launches on the Dnepr rocket for 2006 through 2008. On July 12, 2006, a Dnepr successfully launched a Genesis Pathfinder module. In early 2007, Bigelow plans to launch a second Genesis Pathfinder module. In 2007 or 2008, Bigelow plans two launches of Galaxy modules. Bigelow has not yet announced payloads for the two remaining Dnepr launches.

Additionally, Bigelow has reserved an early 2009 launch on the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Bigelow has not yet announced the payload for the launch. However, this time period corresponds to that proposed by Bigelow for the launch of its first BA 330 module. The Falcon 9 is capable of launching the BA 330 module.

Note: These dates are proposed and are subject to change.

Module Type	Module Name	Flight Date	Launch Vehicle	Mission Status
Genesis Pathfinder	Genesis I	July 12, 2006 14:53 UTC	Dnepr	Launch successful, on orbit^[8]^[9]
Genesis Pathfinder	Genesis II	19 April 2007^[10]	Dnepr	Launch planned
Galaxy	Galaxy I	2007	unknown	Proposed
Galaxy	Galaxy II	2007 or 2008	unknown	Proposed
BA 330 Nautilus	unknown	2012-2014	unknown	Proposed

[edit] Genesis I Launch

An image from one one of the seven exterior cameras on Genesis I.

On July 12, 2006, Genesis I launched on a Dnepr booster from Yasny Launch Base in Siberia. The launch was conducted by Bigelow and ISC Kosmotras. Despite ground-side difficulties during launch, the spacecraft performed as expected upon reaching orbit, inflating, deploying solar arrays and starting internal systems.^[11] The mission is planned to last for five years and include extensive observation of the craft's performance including testing packing/deployment procedures and resistance to radiation and space debris, among other space hazards and conditions. Mike Gold, corporate counsel for Bigelow Aerospace, stated in relation to this mission and the next, "Our motto at Bigelow Aerospace is 'fly early and often'. Regardless of the results of Genesis 1, we will launch a follow-up mission rapidly."^[8]

External and internal images of Genesis I are available on the Bigelow Aerospace website.

[edit] Fly your stuff program

Bigelow Aerospace ran a Fly Your Stuff program for the Genesis II launch. The cost to launch pictures or small items was around US$300. Bigelow plans to photograph each item with internal cameras as the items float inside the craft, to be displayed on the company website.

Test items, supplied by Bigelow Aerospace employees, were sent into orbit on Genesis I. No new images of items floating inside Genesis I have been released since shortly after the launch and initial activation of the spacecraft due to problems with a computer which controls several of the internal cameras.^[12]

[edit] Honors

Bigelow Aerospace has received several honors for its spaceflight efforts. On October 3, 2006, Bigelow Aerospace received the "Innovator Award" from the Arthur C. Clarke Foundation.^[13] The award recognizes "initiatives or new inventions that have had recent impact on or hold particular promise for satellite communications and society, and stand as distinguished examples of innovative thinking." Robert Bigelow was presented the award at the Arthur C. Clarke Awards in Washington D.C. alongside Walter Cronkite, who was honored on the same night with the Arthur C. Clarke Lifetime Achievement Award.

On January 26, 2007, the Space Foundation advocacy group announced that Bigelow Aerospace would be the recipient of its 2007 Space Achievement Award.^[14] Bigelow Aerospace joins a list of previous winners that include the Titan Launch Vehicle team; The Inertial Upper Stage team, the SpaceShipOne team; the Arianespace-CNES Ariane 4 launch team; the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) teams; the NASA/Industry Galileo space probe team; the Hubble Space Telescope team; Sea Launch; and the NASA/Boeing International Space Station team. The award will be presented to Robert Bigelow on April 9, 2007 at the 23rd National Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, Colorado.