Details On Inflatable Space Modules

Decibel writes "Although it's been mentioned on Slashdot twice now, this article contains more details about Robert T. Bigelow's plan to orbit massive inflatable space habitats, with the first test modules to be launched next year. It also details the $50 million "America's Space Prize", with the objective to "spur development of a low-cost commercial manned orbital vehicle capable of launching 5-7 astronauts at a time to Bigelow inflatable modules by the end of the decade.""

Comments

Xanadu

[AKAImBatman]

It's kind of cool to see this idea come to fruition. I'm sure that every child has gone through one of those inflatable castles and wondered what it would be like to have an inflatable house. I myself have often wondered if houses on other planets could be constructed in a manner similar to the late Xanadu. Just inflate the basic structure with just high enough PSI to make it rigid, then spray foam all over it. Allow the structure to cure, and you've got yourself air-tight, super-strong walls that can be repaired from pretty much any damage just by spraying more foam!

Something to think about, anyway.

Re:Xanadu

[SDEggbert]

"Just inflate the basic structure with just high enough PSI to make it rigid, then spray foam all over it. Allow the structure to cure, and you've got yourself air-tight, super-strong walls "

Then re-use the air...

The biggest challenge

[Pi_0's don't shower]

I would love to see someone take on the biggest challenge, articulated nicely here in the article:

The new contest also presents challenges far greater than the X Prize by requiring development of a vehicle that could maneuver to dock at well over 100 mi. altitude and survive a 17,500-mph. reentry.

The big problem, in addition to getting enough thrust to get up to that speed (and into a stable orbit), is how to get down! Ever climb a tree so high that you couldn't figure out how to get down? The analogy is much worse in outer space. The whole idea is, you have an atmosphere that you'll be blasting through at that speed, 17,500 mph or so, and you need some way to decelerate and deal with the heat... good luck to those going ahead with this...

Re:The biggest challenge

[AKAImBatman]

We discussed a possible solution just a few days ago. The only thing I didn't mention is that the Falcon V would be a good alternative choice for launch vehicle. Especially given how much Boeings prices tend to fluctuate upward for newcomers.

Space Junk

[Anonymous Coward]

I hope all the floating space junk/garbage out there in orbit doesn't puncture the module. Maybe they could develop a way to have the side instantly fill the hole with a hardening substance and stop the leak quickly. I think there are automobile tires that do that now...?

Re:Space Junk

[cmowire]

You are thinking that the walls will be like a rubber ballon.

The walls will be thick enough to provide the same level of orbital debris protection as existing space station modules. Remember, the Atlas booster had aluminum ballon fuel tanks -- it would actually collapse if the tanks were empty. When other engineers were suggesting it would never fly, they presurized it and gave them a sledgehammer to try to break the booster.

It rebounded and almost hurt the engineer swinging the hammer.

The instant-fill holes are harder than you'd think. Instant-fill tire stuff is designed to work in an atmosphere that you aren't breathing.

Not just for space stations

[kippy]

This could also be used for interplanetary craft.

Imagine launching to Mars. Even if you launch in a tuna can ala Zubrin, it's still pretty confined. If you launch in an un -nflated balloon, accelerate and get pointed at Mars, you can inflate and have twice or three times the living space. As long are you're willing to be confined for a few hours at first, the place could be quite roomy and more people could be sent per trip as long as provisions are increased.

Just a thought.

What the America Space Prize is not

[Kris Magnusson]

These inflatable modules are cool and everything, but I'm much more interested in the America Space Prize than the modules.

I was hoping that one of the criteria for the contest was that the entire spacecraft, not just the crew module, would be reusable. As far as I can tell, the winning entry will be launched on a traditional throwaway booster. Given this, it will cost you half a mil to fly to a Bigelow Inflatable Hotel for a week of fun in space, hardly an affordable price.

It seems, therefore, the America Space Prize is not about tourism but competing directly with NASA for space science money. Not necessarily bad, but not as exciting as seeing the frontier of affordable LEO space tourism open up.

Re:Safe Space?

[Rolo Tomasi]

That's what came to my mind first, too. They tout this as a means for building lunar and mars bases. Now, they say they have a new shielding technology. Maybe it's really good and keeps out high energy photons and particles. What remains are the neutrons. To shield these, there are basically two ways: thick layers of either water or solid rock.

IMHO the only viable way to build a habitat where people are supposed to live for an extended period of time (i.e. years) is underground.

Might work as a cheap way to build big LEO (below the Van Allen belt) space stations though ...

How about massive foam filled fly-paper

[IBitOBear]

So I was thinking, once we get the massive inflatable technology under our belt, we could probably manage to make these really really really big balons that self-fill with energy-disapating foam once in orbit. (Think styrofoam, you know basically rigid once set-up.)

These things could be set on orbits "just slightly different" than those that were "known " to contain the the smaller space debris.

Since the mass of the balons would be relatively low, we would know when impacts took place.

So by deliberately intersecting the orbits of this stuff we would accumulate it in the rigid foam. The outer structure would be pierced, but by then it would only be strapping on the foam mass to keep *it* from disintegrating.

Over time, in a low orbit, the orbit would decay and the big foam ball would have a nice energetic reentry, bolts, wrenches, gasgets, and all.

In high orbits, the thing could be retrieved.

If the thing were in a retrograde (backwards from all the normal orbits) it wouldn't necessarily even have to capture the debris. A little momentum would be exchanged and both objects would fall to lower orbits.

And it would look good from the "big rubber hilton across the way" 8-)