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Here we go again....this time it's "America's Space Prize"
On Monday Las Vegas hotel magnate Robert Bigelow offered the first $25,000,000 towards a $50,000,000 prize to awarded to the creators of the first privately funded spaceship to reach orbit with 7 astronauts and dock with an inflatable space module built by his Bigelow Aerospace;
Reuters report....
Space.com story....
The inflatable module is part of his project to build his own space station....
Space.com story.....
based on NASA's TransHAB technology, but MUCH bigger. More info;
Following up on Genesis will be the much larger Nautilus, which at 45x22 feet and with an internal volume of 330 cubic METERS (2.75 times the size of ISS modules 
) could easily be strung togerther to form a space station;
Spaceflightnow.com story....
Aviationnow.com story (inflatable space station modules)....
For the first flights articles have stated he planned to use SpaceX's booster, but he also recently signed a contract for 6 launches using Russian Dnepr boosters, which are a civilian version of the SS-18 ICBM;
Spacetoday.net story....
AND for the moon too....
Space.com story....
The baloon has just gone up....
Dr. Mordrid
On Monday Las Vegas hotel magnate Robert Bigelow offered the first $25,000,000 towards a $50,000,000 prize to awarded to the creators of the first privately funded spaceship to reach orbit with 7 astronauts and dock with an inflatable space module built by his Bigelow Aerospace;
Reuters report....
Space.com story....
The inflatable module is part of his project to build his own space station....
Space.com story.....
based on NASA's TransHAB technology, but MUCH bigger. More info;
An inflatable space structure project is moving forward at Bigelow Aerospace of North Las Vegas, Nevada. Tagged as the Genesis Pathfinder, the hardware is now slated for launch late next year.
Once in Earth orbit, the one-third scale hardware is to produce important data regarding multiple features of a full-scale spacecraft.
The Bigelow Aerospace work is led by entrepreneur Robert Bigelow, owner of Las Vegas-based Budget Suites of America Hotel Chain.
The space firm is keen on spurring private ownership and use of space stations by making habitable space modules affordable for corporate communities. Under several agreements with NASA, Bigelow is drawing upon NASA's TransHab inflatable structures program, although the private company is pioneering its own design.
Once in Earth orbit, the one-third scale hardware is to produce important data regarding multiple features of a full-scale spacecraft.
The Bigelow Aerospace work is led by entrepreneur Robert Bigelow, owner of Las Vegas-based Budget Suites of America Hotel Chain.
The space firm is keen on spurring private ownership and use of space stations by making habitable space modules affordable for corporate communities. Under several agreements with NASA, Bigelow is drawing upon NASA's TransHab inflatable structures program, although the private company is pioneering its own design.
) could easily be strung togerther to form a space station;Spaceflightnow.com story....
Aviationnow.com story (inflatable space station modules)....
For the first flights articles have stated he planned to use SpaceX's booster, but he also recently signed a contract for 6 launches using Russian Dnepr boosters, which are a civilian version of the SS-18 ICBM;
Spacetoday.net story....
AND for the moon too....
Space.com story....
The baloon has just gone up....
Dr. Mordrid
Even if the radiation shields are "crew-deployed wet blankets" draped round the interior, the polymers will take one hell of a beating from the radiation. At orbit altitude, the intensity will be quite sufficient to break C-H covalent bonds and possibly C-C ones. As the polymers, including the "micrometeorite shield" all have such bonds, by definition, and form part of the structural integrity, I would have serious doubts about the long-term longevity (8 years), even several layers down. I would also be quite concerned about space junk, unless they have some damn good tyre patches.
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