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Commercialization

New Bigelow Video Released

By Marc Boucher
NASA Watch
August 14, 2014
Filed under , ,

Bigelow Aerospace Releases BEAM Promotional Video, SpaceRef Business
“Bigelow Aerospace has released a promotional video on their Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM). It runs six and a half minutes and includes new footage.”

SpaceRef co-founder, entrepreneur, writer, podcaster, nature lover and deep thinker.

20 responses to “New Bigelow Video Released”

  1. Chris says:
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    Would be amazing if SpaceX and Bigelow announced a joint venture to launch and assemble a private space station which could be rented out. Would light a fire under Bigelow, increased R&D, and make headlines after every launch.

    • Alan Ladwig says:
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      Not sure anyone has to “light a fire” under Bigelow. They have two modules in orbit and aren’t far from their next launch to ISS.

    • Yale S says:
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      Bigelow is well advanced in setting up a space station in 2017.

      http://www.bigelowaerospace

      I know that spacex and bigelow teamed up a year or 2 ago to market spacestations in Asia. Don’t know is it got any buyers, but both companies are usually pretty tight-lipped.

      • Vladislaw says:
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        Robert Bigelow stated he can not and will not sign any contracts until there is an operational domestic commercial crew company. He has seven signed MOU’s and he stated there were a lot others waiting in the wings. the long pole in the tent is getting crew access.

    • duheagle says:
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      Bigelow announced their intent to put up their first LEO station by 2017 back in May at the time they hired a pair of astronauts. That was soon after Bob Bigelow was a VIP guest at the Dragon V2 unveiling. I think Elon convinced him it was time to shift out of Neutral.

    • SpaceMunkie says:
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      I wish they would, just don’t expect any money from NASA.

  2. DTARS says:
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    I read that after Beam does its two years as an unused ISS room, that it will be burned up in the atmosphere. Also Bigelow is also building a second beam which will have an added docking port. It will be the docking section that will be added to one of Bigelow’s habs. Well is it possible to put the docking room Hab on ISS? When its done with its NASA two year test mission it could be used either by NASA, given back to Bigelow or sold. Doesn’t ISS need that docking port? Aren’t all ports being used now? Just don’t understand why things that expensive are thrown out when they could be Saved.

    Imagine if all the shuttle fuel tanks had been hauled to orbit and turned into living space.

    Shuttle city

    • Ben Russell-Gough says:
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      I’d like to see BEAM modified to be an orbital module for free-flying commercial crew flights. Your very own space cabin for your 14-day flight!

      • DTARS says:
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        They keep burning up all these ISS cargo ships too. Sure wish they where saving them to refuel and reuse not like it would have been that hard to plan reuse them. How many cargoships has ISS burned up anyway?? A fleet

        • DTARS says:
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          Maybe Keith and Dennis should take control of a Cygnus full of trash and figure away to dump the trash and keep the little human rated ship around till it can be refueled.

          How many loads of Cygnus trash can you stuff in one BEAM?

          • duheagle says:
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            Cygnus may eventually have other roles to play than as an expensive disposable trash can – space tug and on-orbit taxi roles come to mind – but it isn’t human-rated. Like cargo Dragon, it has an environmental control system suitable for keeping inanimate cargo at a comfortable temperature and humidity. It can even keep small biological specimens alive on the way up to ISS, but it isn’t set up to carry people. It could be made able to do so, but that would take some extra work. Lacking a heat shield, it can’t re-enter so its future uses would have to involve it staying in LEO or elsewhere in cis-lunar space.

          • DTARS says:
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            Thanks, Knew all that, As you say, in the future they may use them as little shuttles and have to build more. As Paul just said ISS should be about learning to live in Space cheaper. Maybe a good start would be finding a cheaper way to throw out the trash. Spacex gets to keep its capsules for reuse (not by NASA). Shouldn’t orbital?

            Isn’t it time to start building reusable spaceships like we do with fleets of reusable airplanes?

            Should there be a place in orbit near ISS to keep these little crafts for future up fit?

            Not sure what you mean by human rated you talking about the “air condition ing system” I was under the impression that the hull of the ship has to meet certain man rated requirements of ISS before you can open the hatch. Because once opened it becomes part of ISS.

          • duheagle says:
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            I’m not sure the environmental control system of the Cygnus can handle the CO2 scrubbing, temperature and humidity control needs of a human crew. It’s probably fine for a few hamsters or suchlike.

            Once the hatch is open, I suspect Cygnus’s native environmental controls are switched off. The ISS systems have enough spare capacity to handle a trivial additional volume like a Cygnus. Especially considering it doesn’t add to the human-caused loads.

  3. fuzed says:
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    Wonder if they would ever consider adding some spin for artificial grav? Maybe 1/3 G limiting stress on the walls. Though from the looks of the diagrams, this would change their internal stowing plans. The 330 would make an excellent life boat for ISS and other ventures.

    • DTARS says:
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      If they do ever spin them they should square them up and add floors cubes or rectangles.

      Add I was thinking about spinning two habs on a line 100s of feet apart.

      Not rolling one

      • Anonymous says:
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        Flat floors would be problematic in that not only would the centrifugal force not be constant across the width of the floor but a non-normal force would develop as you moved from the center of the floor (i.e. where the radius of the vessel was normal to the floor), a force would develop that would push you towards the outer edge of the floor.

        • DTARS says:
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          How much curve would you have to have in your floor? The same as the arc you are spinning in??? You have to spin in a pretty large diameter? 100 feet or yards I think. My simple point about squaring up the walls is use of space is more efficient. People don’t live in soup cans on earth because its not practical use of space. No reason to in space. I wonder if you would have to have a true curve or if many small flat segments would be possible?

          Is it possible to weld in Space with a standard welding machine? Be a job for avaters for sure 🙂 Fire and Space suits not to safe.

          Tinker had idea of building a 2001size Space station out of rocket cores his station would have been a circle made out of six segments I think. Each one 40 ft diameter by 400 ft long. The ship was powered by 6 reusable shuttle tank size oxygen tugs around one central hydrogen tank that goes to orbit for upfiting.
          Now that would have been a cool way to reuse shuttle tech 🙂 I had suggested the hydro tank be rectangular too. So each 400 ft segment would be flat. I wonder if that would work?? Get a little lean when you walk around. Walking up hill and down hill. Lol I believe it would feel exactly like a hill.