Comments on: Bigelow on commercial crew and NASA’s interest in inflatables

By: Carnival of Space #157: The 2010 ISDC Round-Up Edition - Out of the Cradle

Carnival of Space #157: The 2010 ISDC Round-Up Edition - Out of the Cradle — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 06:47:43 +0000

[…] Bigelow on commercial crew and NASAâ€™s interest in inflatables – NewSpace Journal […]

By: Daniele Bedini

Daniele Bedini — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 12:56:49 +0000

Hi all,
I am excited about the possibility to have an inflatable habitat attached toISS, but something more simple could be faster and cheaper! I am teaching now at Royal College of Art in London and we are researching about the possibility to add small inflatable spheres to ISS to be used as ‘Space Hotel’. In September there will be an exhibition in the RCA gallery about our project….. I think that also Bigelow has to think in a more feasible way! I am available to exchange ideas about it.
all the best to all
Daniele Bedini

By: Corey Moss

Corey Moss — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 03:40:10 +0000

Sir or Maddam

Please see the link below for an exclusive column sent to my show’s blog regarding President Obama and US Attorney General Eric Holder jumping through hoops to STOP Constellation.

http://thewillandersonshow.wordpress.com/2010/06/02/exclusive-nasa-the-president-and-common-sense/

Please use as you see fit, but please credit our blog.

Thank You.

By: Coastal Ron

Coastal Ron — Sat, 29 May 2010 19:21:43 +0000

Very enlightening.

Not mentioned in this article was what their customer focus was. In an article for Technology Review, they stated:

“Bigelow is looking at microgravity research and so-called “sovereign clients”, countries without their own human spaceflight capabilities who may be interested in leasing a Bigelow module for their own projects.”

Some advantages I can think of would be:

– Sovereign clients could be better long-term users (repeat customers). Also, I would think it would be cheaper to market to government entities than to advertise for commercial “tourists”.

– Research clients would want to use the facilities for longer periods of time (months), whereas tourists would only visit for short durations (days or weeks).

– In the beginning of space tourism, there is not going to be a lot to do while you’re in space. Look out the window and take pictures, run around the circumference, ping-pong & do spins… after a couple of days it would become repetitious. At least on the ISS there are other people already there, and you can watch them do real work. Research scientists would do the same tourist stuff, but would also have real work to perform.

Bigelow seems to be focusing on the right issues, and if someone is going to make commercial space habits work, I think it’s them.