Inflatable space structures

Bigelow is announcing something soon. What do you think it will be about?

bigelowspaceops.com

Wasn't familiar with them before you posted this, could it be their B330? Seems interesting

well they've already announced that they're partnering with ULA to launch a couple 330s. this seems to be different

Maybe something related to a falcon heavy payload?
Timing would make sense

not until SpX increases the fairing size. Bigelow said that that's why they can't put a 330 in a FH.

I think it might be taking orders for space hotel reservations / research time on a bigelow hab

Falcon's fairing is pathetically small considering the size of the rocket. They may announce something with the SLS as this old SLS pdf has a Bigelow payload on board.

Space hotel reservations would be pretty sweet.

>Not that I would ever be able to afford it probably

Adding on to that, considering the images in the preview are of things proposed to NASA, I think they may announce a tentative agreement to launch a BA 2100 onboard an SLS sometime in the 2020s.

uhh I don't think so. NASA is aiming to phase out the ISS by then; they want commspace to take over.

They wouldn't allow such a payload

Musk mentioned "fairing v2" and then there are some hints related to FH certification about dod payloads and how nice it'll be if a bigger fairing is available for their birds...
It might as be revealed in the next few months.

SLS is out of the question unless we're talking late 2030s and beyond and someone is willing to whip out 1+ billion dollars for it.
SLS has a tight and quite long schedule, and you can't cram some additional flights in it just like that.

Considering the size, and associated complexity of a BA 2100, launching in the 2030s would be a given. But there are already gas giant probes being drawn up that would use the SLS to shave years off travel time.

BFR could fit a pretty big inflatable. And it will be open for comm' payloads before SLS.

>BFR
Nice meme.

Bigelow already have agreements with ULA to launch a 330 in 2020 onboard an Atlas V. And they also have further agreements to use ACES to push a 330 space station into cis lunar orbit.

I'm all for the BFR but I wouldn't hold my breath on that.

...

>but IN SPACE

>TSA has to check you for needles before going to a space hotel

>Not that I would ever be able to afford it probably
Now that you don't have to rely on the government to get you there the cost will start to come down. It would still be expensive, but not necessarily exclusive to the ultra rich.

Not familiar with the exact structure being proposed, but even on earth you wouldn't make a large inflatable structure a single piece. You;d have layers of honeycombed cells and ribs specifically to prevent catastrophic failure because of a tiny pin prick.

bigelow modules are actually stronger and have higher MMOD protection than the current tin cans up there as ISS modules. It's pretty neat stuff

>MMOD protection
Could you have a chunk of something orbiting slightly ahead of you to deflect or at eat up a lot of the potential impacts? Even if it's just a bunch of lashed together resupply modules that would ordinarily just be left to burn up in atmosphere.

BFR is definitely going to be built quickly, as literally everyone, businesses and military, are breathing down Elon's neck about it, and waving billions of dollars in his face for it
150 fucking tons to LEO spawns a mighty need from everyone with cash to spend and space to conquer, doubly so when a tanker BFS visit can have that payload go anywhere in the solar system

I expect BFR by 2024-2026, possibly earlier depending on how many pre-orders he gets for launches, since successes will just make the requests, and his profits, go up exponentially

Pournelle (& others) beat you to the punch by about fifty years buddy. that's been an idea for a while

and a good one, too. The limiting factor was launch cost
>enter: spacex

yeah, I'd imagine that worn out stages will be just left at big space stations in the future. Should look cool

>BFR is definitely going to be built quickly
>150 fucking tons to LEO spawns a mighty need
>I expect BFR by 2024-2026
>pre-orders he gets for launches
>successes will just make the requests, and his profits, go up exponentially

gotta buy the tools before you can make the product. and you have to know what you're making before you can order the right tools. To know what you're making means designing/speccing the main parts of the important bits.

currently, they've ordered the tooling.

So they're pretty far along... I'd agree with your 2024 assessment

shoo shoo Bezos/ULA/Stéphane/Beck/Branson

At least shils get paid , you just do it for free. How pathetic.

NASA can't build shuttle replacement for a decade and more and you expect a small private company to shit out a spaceship in few years?

How delusional you gotta be?

Here's your responses
"Senate Launch System"
"NASA is obsolete"
"Something something Falcon Heavy"
"People said he wouldn't land a rocket"
"Magic pixy dust will make Mars dreams real"
"Musk is a genius, I'm sure he can do it before those idiots at NASA"

how delusional are YOU?

SpaceX can work extremely rapidly. They went from an empty room to having a world-class PICA facility in NINE MONTHS. And that was years ago. If you know anything about PICA that's incredibly impressive.

And stop with the NASA comparison, it's hard to do anything on a 4/8 year schedule. See: Constellation, and the current SLS mess. Pork/Jobs program etc etc etc..

also,
>small company

8000 employees is small? lmao

>Delays Falcon Heavy for seven years
>Work extremely rapidly.

those delays were due to unforeseen issues with FH architecture, and internal prioritization of effort. current F9 is as capable as original FH. No need to work on FH when you can just launch FH payloads on an improved F9.

And I'm sure they won't run into any unforeseen issues building the largest and most complicated rocket ever.