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Inflatable Space Hotel

Quantum

17:37 / 13.07.06

New Scientist Article, a private firm sends model inflatable space station into orbit 'flawlessly'.
More interestingly they need a ferry to get passengers into orbit and are offering a huge reward;

Bigelow Aerospace is also backing America’s Space Prize to the tune of $50 million. Offered late last year, the prize is meant to spur the growth of privately-built Earth orbiting spaceships. As one of a set of prize rules, a winning design must demonstrate the ability to dock with Bigelow Aerospace’s inflatable space habitat, and stay docked to the complex for up to six months.

A key ambition of the Bigelow Aerospace cash reward is to break the monopoly on crew transport to space currently held by Russia’s Soyuz spacecraft.

Anyone reckon they can win 50 million dollars with a budget passenger spacecraft? And break the monopoly on space?

grant

12:47 / 14.07.06

I'm kind of interested in the idea of inflatables in space; there's some been some talk of using balloons to explore Mars. It seems like the perfect way to get something really big out of a really tiny, light package.

I think I'm going to be skeptical of space hotels until I see photos of the view. It's the fact that they call that zero-G plane "the Vomit Comet" that seems like a limiting factor on willing millionaire "early adopter" types.

grant

12:55 / 14.07.06

Which isn't to say that the inheritors to SpaceShip One aren't already being built in some desert lab somewhere -- I'd bet money (but not $50 mill) that they'll have their ship within 10 years.

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