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Inflatable Private Space Station Launched
Anonymous_Space_Ranger writes "CNN is reporting that the first steps to have a private space station are underway in Russia. While today's launch is unmanned, it is designed to orbit the planet for 5 years while the durability of the design is tested and future flights are planned around it." From the article: "[Robert] Bigelow envisions building a private orbiting space complex by 2015 that would be made up of several expandable Genesis-like modules linked together and could be used as a hotel, or perhaps a science lab or college. He has committed $500 million toward the project."
Well, according to the TFA:
So, the idea is to determine exactly what the risks would be.
After all, to coin a phrase, "Space is big...". If you put it in the right place, made it able to heal from smaller bits hitting it, and limited your stay to a few weeks, your statistically greatest risk would be from getting up there and back. If you're 100x as likely to blow up on the way up or burn up on the way down than to have your space station smashed by space junk, it's not worth worrying about the space junk.
Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
About 2.5 hours from now, the module will phone home and we will get a better sense of how the module is doing. Here are some additional resources...
i s-1_launch.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/5173388.stm
http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/060712_genes
http://www.bigelowaerospace.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bigelow_Aerospace
At those speeds, debris punches holes in metal just as easily.
Platform advocacy is like choosing a favorite severely developmentally disabled child.
3) Nobody is tracking the larger space junk.
i ct_war/norad/
NORAD - from 1968. Yes, the space junk is still tracked today.
http://archives.cbc.ca/IDCC-1-71-1552-10481/confl
Or were you using the sarcasm tag? I could not tell.
Try to hack my 31337 firewall!
Maybe passing through an occupant on the way through. That doesn't sound very safe to me.
Welcome to space. It's not safe. Neither is mountain climbing or skydiving, yet people do these activities all the time. Also you should probbably be comparing the risk of being hit by space junk with the risk of dying on re-entry or liftoff. I'd be willing to bet that the risks posed by space junk are a LOT smaller than liftoff/re-entry.
Also try to remeber that although there's a lot of junk, it's spread out over a VERY large area. The size of human being is relatively small, so it's not terribly likely that someone would be hit by space junk.
AccountKiller
You can find more technical details about the launch on the space fellowship: http://www.spacefellowship.com/News/?p=1614
We can expect video's and pictures, of the "living" annimals etc!
With ovre 4 million pounds of space junk flying around at speeds up to 17,500... I for one would NOT want to be in an inflatable structure. Wow!
Many people hear "inflatable structure" and think of some sort of balloon ready to pop at the smallest prick. Bigelow's structure are actually quite sturdy though, arguably more durable than the ISS's walls. From a BBC article on the launch:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/5173388.stm
It is built around a rigid central core and two solid bulkheads. The inflatable walls are composed of a range of materials including Kevlar, often used in bullet-proof vests, and a fibrous textile called Vectran.
The walls are designed to be airtight and tough, to withstand the impact of space debris and small meteorites.
On a full-scale module, each wall would be 40cm (16 inches) thick.
"It's extremely durable and resistant to any puncture or penetration," said Mr Bigelow.