Bigelow Aerospace has created the next human habitat for space - MUST SEE

originally posted by: StoutBroux
Awesome news. Under budget and on time. Why isn't he running NASA?

FYI: Most of NASA post 2008 has been under budget and on time. This is because an astronaut (Charles Bolden) is in charge rather than another bureaucrat.

I worked there for 5 years before he laid off 75 percent of employess, the material used is much stronger then the solid parts used in ISS.The stuff is amazing

a reply to: ObjectZero

I wonder what industry will cook up once access to space is more available? What kind of research can be done up there? Surely entertainment isn't the only avenue for business up there. Eager to see.

Strange world it'd be with space elevators and/or cheap access. With enough time, people might even live up there just because they can. But what about protection from CME's or solar events?

a reply to: jonnywhite

I once heard that refining some meterials in a zero-G environment gave them some unique properties.

I am sure that is a ways off, but I am also sure some can't hardly wait till it is possible.

originally posted by: jonnywhite
I wonder what industry will cook up once access to space is more available? What kind of research can be done up there? Surely entertainment isn't the only avenue for business up there. Eager to see.

Just guessing here but in order of what I think would be most likely

-Salvage- Satellite recovery could be lucrative as many of the components often are still working even when a satellite runs out of fuel to keep its orbit from decaying. It also would help pave the way for safer trips about low earth orbit where most of the space junk actually is.

-Astronomy- The Earth's atmosphere blocks out a lot of wavelengths which things in the universe produce so cheaper access to space would mean more space telescopes of every size and variety from cubesat size up to something 20 times more massive than Hubble.

-Microgravity Manufacturing- There are a lot of things we use every day which are easier to make in orbit and there are probably things we do not use now but might become common because they might only be able to be made in microgravity.

-Asteroid Prospecting- Already there are companies building satellites to scan asteroids which may be lucrative to mine with robotic craft. There would no doubt be more of them.

-Racing- One could conceive of some form of racing either in orbit or on the moon.

-Zero G Games/Sports- Totally new types of games could be played in Zero G. If access to space were cheap then I suspect new zero-g games from large orbital (inflatable) arenas might be broadcast to Earth.

-Space Diving- Think skydiving on steroids...

-Energy Collection and Transmission- Japan is already looking into the decades old idea of beaming down solar power collected by geosynchronous satellites above the Earth via microwaves to power cities without pollution or the threat of nuclear accidents.

Strange world it'd be with space elevators and/or cheap access. With enough time, people might even live up there just because they can. But what about protection from CME's or solar events?

Shielding. Different types of materials act as effective shields against different types of radiation including solar x-rays from CMEs.

originally posted by: Grimpachi
a reply to: jonnywhite

I once heard that refining some meterials in a zero-G environment gave them some unique properties.

Well semiconductors and crystals can be grown with much higher purity.

I am sure that is a ways off, but I am also sure some can't hardly wait till it is possible.

It's not that far off. Much of the research done aboard the ISS is in materials science and the semiconductor companies are paying close attention.

a reply to: JadeStar

Salvage/Satellite recovery - Russia and the US have semi-robotic spaceships don't they? Why does this need people?

-Astronomy- Hubble space telescope needed (or needs) astronauts for maintenance and/or upgrades. If a telescope was close to a habitat, maybe people could make the job easier. However, there're problems with this. NASA researched attaching HST to the ISS, but because of the difficulty in lowering its orbit and attaching it, and other factors like more gases and debris around the ISS and mechanical disturbances from the ISS, it was deemed undoable. Worse, the JWST (james Webb Space Telescope) will be at a much higher orbit. HOWEVER, I have to wonder if this could be doable someday. The telescope would have to be designed for being close to a habitat.

-Microgravity Manufacturing- Can't they simulate microgravity on earth?

-Asteroid Prospecting- So why would hte prospecting companies want a manned place in orbit?

-Energy Collection and Transmission- Japan might be looking into beaming the energy down via microwaves, but I wonder how that'll go. Don't want wander beneath that beam by accident. Poor birds.

Shielding - I know there're options. However, deeps space is a different animal. I have to wonder how much our Earth's magnetic field would protect Astronauts in very rare events. The main concern appears to be cosmic rays, especially galactic cosmic rays, like on the moon or on missions to Mars. I don't know if there're any threats of electrical problems on the ISS, as on Earth, in the event of a major geomagnetic storm.

a reply to: steve632

So the material for these inflatable habitats can withstand impacts from orbital debris? I've seen the damage a paint fleck caused to the Shuttle window, it wasn't pretty...

originally posted by: MystikMushroom
a reply to: steve632

So the material for these inflatable habitats can withstand impacts from orbital debris? I've seen the damage a paint fleck caused to the Shuttle window, it wasn't pretty...

Bigelow modules will use several layers of Vectran, which is stronger than Kevlar. Their flexibility may actually serve to increase durability compared to solid surfaces like windows. The ability to deform in response to impacts may actually give it less chance of rupturing. Despite their appearance they're not just inflated balloons, they're comprised of multiple layers and I believe they include foam between layers as well. That provides space for the micrometeoroid to break up and/or vaporize before it can reach the air tight bladder beneath.