Motel 6... Hundred Miles Up

SatelliteBoy writes: "Robert Bigelow, the tycoon behind Budget Suites of America, has founded Bigelow Aerospace. He just announced plans to launch a space station. He claims it can go up within 30 months. Let's see what this costs to visit..."

Comments

Re:Nor should there be.

[bobdehnhardt]

From the Outer Space Treaty, entered into force on 10 October, 1967:

(Article I Excerpt) Outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, shall be free for exploration and use by all States without discrimination of any kind, on a basis of equality and in accordance with international law, and there shall be free access to all areas of celestial bodies.

and

(Article II) Outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, is not subject to national appropriation by claim of sovereignty, by means of use or occupation, or by any other means.

and finally,

(Article VI) States Parties to the Treaty shall bear international responsibility for national activities in outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies, whether such activities are carried on by governmental agencies or by non-governmental entities, and for assuring that national activities are carried out in conformity with the provisions set forth in the present Treaty. The activities of non-governmental entities in outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies, shall require authorization and continuing supervision by the appropriate State Party to the Treaty. When activities are carried on in outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies, by an international organization, responsibility for compliance with this Treaty shall be borne both by the international organization and by the States Parties to the Treaty participating in such organization.

The US doesn't own "everything around the Earth". But per the Outer Space Treaty, the US is responsible for the actions in space of any US-based "entities". Thus, proper govenmental clearance must be obtained before any activities can take place.

why bother with the FAA?

[austad]

Why is he even bothering with the FAA and United States legal BS? If he launches from some other country, like one near the equator to decrease the amount of fuel needed to get into orbit, he should have to deal with the FAA and the US government at all.

Isn't there already a launchpad in some african country near the equator, or didn't russia just make some deal to put one there?

Re:I wonder

[bungalow]

I wonder if they will have a swimming pool. That would be odd in zero G. a big sphere of water hovering in the middle of the room.

This sounds extremely dangerous; Water containment would be the first challenge; I don't know how surface tension differs, but it would stand to my reason that , a "big sphere" would react to newtonian physics as well - if everyone jupmed in on one side, using the walls as a push point or whatever, then the mass of water would be pushed around quite easily. And break. Then you have perpetual zero-grav percipitation, not a pool.

The bigger challenge I see is orientation and buoyancy. IN a 10' deep pool, most people know to swim "up". In a zero-grav environment, especially where pressure is significantly lower than what people are used to, one would easily become quite disoriented. Without unfamiliar buyancy charqacteristics, people could suffocate themselves by swimming "in" instead of "out".

I'm not saying I'd never swim in outerspace; it sounds like a bit of fun, actually. But I'd want a few lessons beforehand.

Why NASA is pissed.

[selectspec]

For the same reason they hated Tito. NASA doesn't want anybody to build a space station for 500 million dollars, because it shows how rediculous their budget is. It was the same deal with Tito. Tito payed roughly 12 million to go into space (despite NASA's attempts to claim the number was really 20 million). The Russian crew was three including Tito. Assuming, that the 12 million was enough to cover the costs of a single crew member (why else would they do it), that suggests that it only cost the Russians at most about 36 million (I'm sure it was less). It costs NASA 600 million for each space shuttle launch ( = Space shuttle annual budget / number of launches). Now, if you are a NASA administrator, and some guys says he's going to spend 500 million on a space station, and you can't launch the shuttle for that, what are you going to say!

Re:Why NASA is pissed.

[WolfWithoutAClause]

Actually Tito probably more or less paid for the whole flight. The entire Russian space budget runs to under $200 million; the cost of each rocket is about $4 million (source: Gary Hudson of Rotary Rocket fame). There will be launch pad costs on top of that, but I doubt they will add up to more than $8 million.

By comparison, the unit cost of a space shuttle launch is $100 million including pad maintenance; but not including development costs.

The rocket that Tito went up on is much less capable of course. The more capable rocket the Russians have Proton V, which can carry a similar payload mass to the shuttle costs about $5 million. The Russians charge $85 million per launch cf $500+ million for the space shuttle.

Re:Summer Vacation in Outer Space

[JEDi_ERiAN]

obviously you've never had sex in space.

E.


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Las Vegas, what a surprise...

[kalifa]

Is it just me or did someone else notice that all these crazy megalomaniacs are always based in the most kitsch and megalomaniac city of this world?

Nor should there be.

[lazn]

"The papers and forms don't exist for an application like this."

Umm the FAA dosn't own space. Just go.

(I am sure europe would be interested to know the american government seems to think it owns everything around the earth)

==>Lazn

Marketting campaign.

[dasmegabyte]

At the end of the day, you're tired from space walking everywhere with the kids, the long ride in the station wagon shuttle on the way to Grandma's house on the moon, all you really want is some rest, clean atmosphere and a vaccuum you can pee into. Here at Space Station Six, we beleive in amenities like artifical gravity, free space suits for the kids and a complementary freeze dried continental breakfast.

So come on down to Space Station 6 next time you're trekking across the cosmos. We'll leave the landing light on for you.

PORN

[newt_sd]

ok the real question is how long till the adult industry starts exploring space. They seem to be the first in every other field and successful at that!!! Bring on the space hookers