Bigelow modules - new specs

[Dr Mordrid]

Some numbers are coming out -

Launch mass: 50 kg/m3 +/- 10%

Launchers: Atlas V, Falcon 9/9-e, Falcon 9 Heavy/Heavy-e

Core diameter: 1/3 inflated diameter (important vs. launcher fairing size), with the expandable parts wrapped around the core and initial stores & parts inside it.

Redundancy: each module has its own docking ports, solar power, life support, water stores, propulsion, galley, radiation shelter & crew quarters, making every module in a station independent of the others and a potential lifeboat. They can even generate their own hydrogen/oxygen thruster fuel out of waste water.

When looking at the below image of relative proposed module sizes bear in mind that the pressurized volume of Destiny, the largest module in the ISS and main US laboratory, runs 106 m3 and that of the entire ISS is 837 m3. The smallest CSS module, Sundancer, will be 180 m3, and the proposed Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM) logistics module for ISS would be about 130 m3.


Image credit: Rob Davidoff

[Dr Mordrid]

Name changes - Bigelow stations will be prefixed as SC (Space Complex) instead of CSS (Commercial Space Station)

SC Alpha will consist of 2 Sundancers (180 m3 each) and 1 BA-330 (330 m3 each), for a total of 690 m3 plus 1 small size propulsion bus/docking node. This will support a crew of 12 with dockage for up to 5 spacecraft.

SC Bravo will consist of 4 BA-330's, for a total of 1,320 m3 plus two large size propulsion bus/nodes. This will support a crew of 24 with dockage for up to 8 spacecraft.

Dockage can vary depending if ports are configured for berthing (extra modules) or spacecraft (docking adapters)

ISS is 837 m3 with a crew of 6. Docking just 4 visiting spacecraft, as will be the case Saturday when the shuttle arrives, is a challenge.

Plans are for 10 complexes, with at least one at EML-1 (first Earth-Moon Lagrange point) to act as a space dock for beyond Earth orbit missions.