Comments on: Questions about Bigelow’s plans

By: Chance

Chance — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 11:43:07 +0000

Well, I saw this quote from Mr. Bigelow that I rather like: “We have no idea what the size of the market is,” Bigelow said. “Our goal is to be the Hudson Bay Co. in terms of space destinations.”

By: Ron

Ron — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 04:24:27 +0000

“whatâ€™s to keep them from buying a seat on the Soyuz right now?”

Only two Soyuz flights a year and only two Soyuz passenger seats a year.

Bigelow’s aiming for about 30 launches a year!

By: Peter Shearer

Peter Shearer — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 14:09:19 +0000

While reading Bigelow’s plan I got jitterbugz cause I was SO excited! I don’t think I’ve been this excited since I first heard about SS1!!!

If he (they) can pull it off… oh man, exciting times to be living in! I know it might take a while for a little guy like me to get up there but his plans are so ambitious I can’t help but think… This… Is… Going… To… Happen…

Finally!!!

By: Chance

Chance — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 14:02:34 +0000

Thanks Ray. Maybe a sucessful demonstration of manufacturing capability by Spacehab will spur other companies to do the same.

By: Ray

Ray — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 23:53:09 +0000

Chance: For what it’s worth (originally found through Spaceref):

http://www.spacehab.com/news/2007/07_04_10.htm

SPACEHAB ANNOUNCES NEW COMPANY INITIATIVE
Company to Focus on Space Based Manufacturing

Houston, Texas, April 10, 2007 â€“ SPACEHAB, Incorporated (NASDAQ: SPAB), a leading provider of commercial space services, today announced plans to develop a new company division that will focus on manufacturing pharmaceuticals and materials in space for distribution into the commercial marketplace.

With a 22-year heritage of processing and transporting over a thousand experiments to low Earth orbit, SPACEHAB plans to leverage the company’s deep understanding of microgravity science and payload processing into a new focus towards on-orbit manufacturing for both intercompany initiatives and as a service provider for other customers.

… etc … (see the link for the rest). This is targeted to the ISS, but one could at least imagine it spreading to commercial stations.

By: Chance

Chance — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 14:57:02 +0000

Well, as much as I hope there is a market, hope is not a business plan. Are there really dozens of companies that want and/or need to be in space, but gosh darn it, just can’t get there? I wanna see lists. I want to know what ADM or Google or Pfizer has a powerpoint presentation set up asking the board to approve the launch of their own private astronaut corps. Even if some company discovers a way to make a break through drug in microgravity, you then have to turn around and figure out how to mass produce it on earth. Seems like a high risk/relatively low reward strategy.

As for “soveriegn” astronauts, what’s to keep them from buying a seat on the Soyuz right now? Is a 6 million dollar differance really what’s keeping 60-70 countries away? Is Honduras really itching to put a estrellanaut on a BA 330? I just don’t know.