Bigelow is on the BEAM

It is no surprise that one of the limiting factors in launching a spacecraft is it's
size/weight.

If your like me, you most likely considered Bigelow Aerospace and it's unique inflatable space craft module a concept of the past.

Not so it would appear.  Bigelow Aerospace and NASA will be studying the radiation protection, thermal performance and general operations of expandable habitats in space, with a module called the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM) which will be attached and inflated to the ISS.

More information can be garnered from the enclosed video. 

Missing Beagle May Have Been Found

On December 19, 2003, the Mars Express orbiter released a tiny spaceship called the Beagle 2. The small lander streaked through the thin Martian atmosphere at well over 12 thousand miles per hour and was never heard from again. 

From the Global News article:

• After more than 11 years, European Space Agency officials reported that the Beagle 2 had been finally found – thanks to extensive detective work based on new photos taken by the high-resolution camera on NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.
• The photos show the craft landed safely on Mars and partially deployed — but was unable to fully deploy and start communicating.

The 143-pound Beagle 2 was designed to descend through the Martian atmosphere, deploy parachutes, and “bounce” to a safe landing on inflatable bags.

More from the Global News article:

• Experts who helped identify the lander at the University of Arizona’s Lunar and Planetary Lab said the photographs are “consistent” with only a partial deployment of the Beagle 2 upon landing. They said a failure to fully deploy would explain why no data or signals from the craft were ever received, since a complete deployment of all of its solar panels would have been needed for successful transmissions.

Complete article @ Global News  HERE

NASA to Test Supersonic Saucer Shaped Mars Lander

NASA has chosen several days in early June, the first being June 3, for balloon launched test flights of the saucer shaped Low-Density Supersonic Decelerator  or LDSD experimental vehicle that will carry technology that will allow supersonic atmospheric entry and low speed parachute landings on Mars.

From the article:

• NASA's LDSD test is designed to investigate breakthrough technologies that will benefit landing future human and robotic Mars missions, as well as aid in safely returning large payloads to Earth
• The NASA LDSD test over the Pacific Ocean will simulate the entry, descent and landing speeds a spacecraft would be exposed to when flying through the Martian atmosphere. During the test a large saucer-shaped disk carrying an inflatable inner tube-shaped decelerator and parachute system will be carried to an altitude of 120,000 feet by a giant balloon. After release from the balloon, rockets will lift the disk to 180,000 feet while reaching supersonic speeds. Traveling at 3.5 times the speed of sound, the saucer's decelerator will inflate, slowing the vehicle down, and then a parachute will deploy to carry it to the ocean's surface.

Here is a short film of NASA testing the parachute for the LDSD

Bigelow Inflatable Oked for ISS

Those of you that have been around for awhile know that I have been talking about Bigelow Aerospace and their experimentation with inflatable space modules.  Bigelow has launched a couple of their modules that have proved extremely successful.  

Now Bigelow Aerospace has petitioned NASA to build and attach a module to the ISS.   The unit(s) are called Bigelow Expandable Activity Modules and their initial use would be a technology demonstration unit.   What makes Bigelow's modules so unique is they are inflatable.  The units are held rigid by internal air pressure.  Bigelow's two previous test units proved uniquely durable, performing as expected in earlier test.  The success of these test are what NASA based its decision on. 

It is not clear yet if the unit would be for on board astronauts to add to their living space or for use by Bigelow as space of tourists.   Bigelow has stated in the past that they are planing  to build a low Earth orbit "hotel" to which they would shuttle tourists to and from.

Shuttle Enterprise's new home.

   On June 14th, 1974 construction began on what was designated OV-101, and was going to be named Constitution. They were planning on unveiling it  on Constitution Day on September 17th, 1976, the year of our bicentennial.

    This was changed thanks to a letter writing campaign by Trekkies, myself included, to President Gerald Ford asking that the ship be named for The Enterprise of Star Trek. He apparently liked the name, and though he didn't bring up the writing campaign, he did direct NASA to change the name to ENTERPRISE.

    Though she never made it into space, she was used for approach and landing tests. Refitting her for space flight turned out to not be a viable solution since there were major design changes during the construction of  Columbia. She was also considered for a refit after the Challenger disaster, but Endeavour was built instead from structural spares.

   The Enterprise now sits on the deck of the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space museum, with her nose pointed out toward the Hudson river. She was lowered to the deck on June 6th, sustaining slight cosmetic damage to one wingtip.

    The have her covered in a white inflatable canopy to protect it from the elements, and also NASA demands a climate controlled environment for display.  

    She will be open for her first viewing during the spacefest for her grand opening from June 19th to 22nd.

In a few years they are planning on moving the Enterprise to a permanent home built for her as an extension of the museum. 

    I really have to get myself to see her. Frankly, we should all make sure we get there to see her, and the rest of the museum. 

     The link I put here, (which I know there's a simpler way I have to learn) will take you to the story of the intrepid complete with video of her being lowered on the deck, etc. Well worth the time to read and watch. 

   http://www.space.com/16255-space-shuttle-enterprise-nyc-display.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+spaceheadlines+%28SPACE.com+Headline+Feed%29&utm_content=My+Yahoo

   

A Look At What Could be NASA's First Manned Planetary Explorer

From Dvice we get a look at NASA's Nautilus-X. The Non-Atmospheric Universal Transport Intended for Lengthy United States X-ploration is really NASA's first shot at what the future of deep space planetary exploration just may take the shape of.

Maybe not the prettiest thing going but does have some good ideas integrated into the structure. From the article:

• The craft is designed to support a crew of six in deep space for anywhere between one month and two years at a stretch. It's got an integrated centrifuge to provide artificial gravity for its occupants, and the habitation modules are mostly inflatable.

complete article

Boeing Plans New High Occupancy Capsule

Boeing has announced its plans to produce a low-cost, high-occupancy passenger capsule called the Crew Space Transportation-100 vehicle. Early estimates predict that it could be ready by 2014. The new crew capsule would be used to ferry crew to the ISS and Boeing says that it would be compatible with and very likely could ferry people to the Bigelow's inflatable space stations

Dvice article

Inflatable Heat Shields? NASA says yes

NASA has successfully demonstrated how a spacecraft returning to Earth can use an inflatable heat shield to slow and protect itself as it enters the atmosphere at hypersonic speeds. The shield consisted of a 10-foot diameter, mushroom shape, made of several layers of silicone-coated industrial fabric, which was inflated with nitrogen after the test craft was released about 124miles in altitude. The shield experienced maximum atmospheric heating at apx. 6 minutes into the flight and 50 miles up and lasted 30 seconds.

Now that NASA has shown proof of concept, they plan to scale up to more advanced aeroshells capable of handling higher heat rates.

Complete story here

Commercial space station to launch before 2010

The world's first privately financed space station could be launched before 2010.

Based in Las Vegas, Nevada, Bigelow Aerospace has successfully placed two inflatable spacecraft, called Genesis I and Genesis II, in Earth orbit. The company had planned to orbit a third spacecraft called Galaxy in 2008 before lofting its Sundancer space station, able to support a crew of three, into orbit in 2010. But a statement by founder Robert Bigelow that was posted on the company's website says rising launch costs have pushed the company to forego the launch of Galaxy and bring forward Sundancer's launch.

The company had previously said it planned to launch Sundancer in 2010. Although Bigelow has not given a new date for launch, the statement says the schedule change means private space habitats "could be arriving much earlier than any of us had previously anticipated".

The announcement came three days after reports that another company called Galactic Suite intends to put a three-bedroom space hotel in orbit by 2012.

Thanks to Shaun Saunders for the post

Second inflatable spacecraft launched

Bigelow Aerospace has launched its second inflatable space module, Genesis 2. The Genesis 2 module launched from Russia's Yasny Cosmodrome atop a Dnepr launch rocket. Genesis 2 is about 2.5 metres wide and uses essentially the same physical design as its predecessor, Genesis 1, which launched into space on 12 July 2006 and is still in orbit. But Genesis 2 includes extra instruments that will monitor the craft's vital signs and 22 cameras – nine more than flew on Genesis 1. Some of the cameras will take pictures of photographs and other items people paid to send into space aboard the module in a programme called "Fly Your Stuff". The craft also holds a box of animals including cockroaches and scorpions and a machine that will select balls for Bingo games to be webcast on BigelowAerospace.com. All of this activity and testing is leading up to a module called Sundancer, to launch in 2010, which would be three times the diameter of the Genesis modules and is designed to be able to support a crew of three. In 2012, it hopes to launch a module called the BA 330 that would dock with Sundancer.

Thanks to Shaun A. Saunders for the post

NASA Tests Inflatable Lunar Shelters

NASA is preparing to test an inflatable structure that might one day be used to establish an outpost on the Moon. The inflatable structure is made of multilayer fabric and looks like an ungainly white robot with legs.

The main unit is 12 feet in diameter and 18 feet tall. It has a volume of about 1,600 cubic feet and is connected to an airlock, also inflatable. The two spaces are essentially pressurized cylinders, connected by an airtight door. Inflatable structures are just one of the construction types NASA is considering for an outpost on the Moon.

NASA says testing of inflatable habitats on the Moon could begin in 2020. As currently envisioned, a lunar outpost would begin with four-person crews making several seven-day visits to the Moon until their power supplies, rovers and living quarters are operational.

The mission would then be extended to two weeks, then two months and ultimately to 180 days.

In a related development, NASA will team up with the National Science Foundation to begin field testing of a similar inflatable structure in Antarctica either later this year or early next year.

submitted by Shaun A. Saunders

Inflatable Habitats for Polar and Space Colonists

One of the largest obsticales to establishing stations or colonies on Mars, the Moon or even in space has been transporting the structures that people would live in. Recent experiments with inflatable structures in space have shown proof of concept, showing non-ridged construction to be extremely promising.

At the article Inflatable Habitats
researchers make a convincing argument for lightweight inflatable construction. These structures would not only be easy to transport and set up, they also lend themselves well to gathering their own power and heat. Click on the link for more info

posted by Shaun A. Saunders