Comments on: Bigelow report calls for use of COTS model for cislunar transportation

By: A_M_Swallow

A_M_Swallow — Sun, 02 Feb 2014 04:35:48 +0000

@RSouthwick Hydroponics could be used to recycle the air to produce oxygen. Humans use a lot of oxygen so the greenhouse containing the plants will have to be very big, say the size of a farm. Consequently if a biological method is chosen construction will have to wait for many years, until sufficient machinery can be delivered to the Moon and Mars to expand the bases. A method that also produces food as well as oxygen may be possible.

By: RSouthwick

RSouthwick — Sat, 07 Dec 2013 00:07:56 +0000

Precluding lunar/mars property issues but reflecting on the hardware and livability issues; is anyone addressing one of the biggest soft/hard sustainability supply problems. By this I mean hydroponics for oxygen. I have not seen any reference from contractors/sub-contractors about these issues which I would think would be essential for long term flights or projects that address a more permanent residence in space, on mars or the moon?

By: Neil Shipley

Neil Shipley — Tue, 19 Nov 2013 07:13:04 +0000

It’s a NASA report therefore paid for by the taxpayer and therefore should become publically available.

By: Ken Gosier

Ken Gosier — Sat, 16 Nov 2013 14:33:16 +0000

Will the Bigelow report be made available to the general public? I don’t see it on their website.

By: Stuart

Stuart — Fri, 15 Nov 2013 09:16:41 +0000

Good proposal for discussion, the main sticking point which will have a major impact internationally is the land ownership and mineral exploitation element. If not managed wisely we will see a space race for land, which could have dour consequences.

By: Robert Clark

Robert Clark — Wed, 13 Nov 2013 16:04:03 +0000

Thanks for that. Today, Wednesday, Nov. 13, Charles Bolden will speak on the success of the commercial approach for LEO flights:

http://www.nasa.gov/nasatv

Only natural it should also be extended to BEO flights.

Bob Clark

By: DougSpace

DougSpace — Wed, 13 Nov 2013 06:52:11 +0000

This concept is really quite close to what the petition at LunarCOTS.com calls for. I’m hoping that NASA will take up Bigelow’s recommendation and that Congress will agree. I think that it is a real possibility because this could remove the thorn-of-an-argument that the Administration should have never removed the Moon from the table. A Lunar COTS approach will not be NASA proper going to the Moon but that such an effort would be “led” by American commercial companies. Importantly, this could be done in such a way that did not threaten the cherished SLS/Orion programs. The current public-private programs are compatible with the SLS/Orion and so could a Lunar COTS program provided that the Lunar COTS program is a budgetary successor to the current public-private programs.

As for the lunar property aspect of the proposal…I am less than enthused to see that. I fear that Lunar COTS might not be funded if it is too tightly wed to this controversial issue.

By: Derek Webber

Derek Webber — Tue, 12 Nov 2013 21:57:05 +0000

Parts of this plan could form elements of future space policy, particularly the idea of using a combination of government and commercial funding to proceed onwards beyond LEO. Also the COTS approach has proved to be a very successful structure for procurement of services. Bigelow habitats are a natural for future crewed outposts in destinations beyond LEO. Fingers crossed for a positive response from the White House, the Hill and NASA’s planners.

I have been proposing something similar, but in GEO, as the next step forward, and referring to it as “Gateway Earth”, housing both astronauts and space tourists almost at the edge of Earth’s gravity well.

Derek Webber, Spaceport Associates