"Private Space Station Prototype Hits Orbital Milestone "
Space.com (May 9, 2008)
"A prototype module for a private space station has passed an orbital milestone after completing its 10,000th trip around the Earth.
"Genesis 1, an inflatable module built by the Las Vegas, Nev.-based firm Bigelow Aerospace, passed the 10,000-orbit mark as it nears the beginning of its third year of unmanned operations, its builders announced late Thursday. ..."
Why spend money putting a balloon in orbit?
"... The company's business plan aims to populate space with habitable complexes for international space agencies and multinational corporations. ..."
More, at Bigelow Aerospace.
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Actually, it's way off to say the Bigelow spaceships will "pop." THey're actually stronger-skinned the the hard metal shells on the ISS. Go check out their Web site, bigelowaerospace.com, to learn more...
ReplyDeleteVincent Stryker,
ReplyDeleteTrue enough. the Bigelow habitats have quite durable skins.
I'm not sure why you made the observation that "it's way off to say the Bigelow spaceships will 'pop.' " While accurate, it implies that the assertion was made that the modules were said to "pop." I re-checked the Space.com article, and found no reference to popping.