Bigelow's space module plans in overdrive

By Leonard David

Senior space writer

updated 12:52 p.m. ET Nov. 22, 2006

The success of Bigelow Aerospace’s Genesis 1 module, which has been operating in orbit since July 12, has put the company well ahead in its plans for bigger and more capable modules that eventually will host visitors in orbit.

“From a technological standpoint, we are years ahead of where we thought we would be at this time…due to the success of Genesis 1,” said Bigelow Aerospace Corporate Counsel, Mike Gold. “At this point, we feel we’re ready to move ahead and tackle what will be the largest challenge to date for Bigelow Aerospace…to develop a habitat that will actually be capable of supporting a crew.”

At present, Bigelow Aerospace is readying the next space module mission and gearing up company plans to orbit a human-rated habitat — the Sundancer — at the firm’s ground control central in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The Genesis 1 is nearly 15-foot (4.4 meters) long. The module filled itself out to over 8 feet (2.54 meters) in diameter from its tightly-packed launch configuration of some 5 feet (1.6 meters) across. In its pressurized fully-expanded status, the structure yields 11.5 cubic meters of usable volume. The module is energized by eight solar arrays—a set of four on each end of the craft.

Now being groomed for flight is Genesis 2. Its launch campaign will begin in January, Gold told SPACE.com, with liftoff of the hardware slated for the first quarter of next year. Barring launch delays, Genesis 2’s flight could come on the early end of that quarter, he added.

Like its predecessor, Genesis 2 will plow into orbit via a Dnepr booster under contract with ISC Kosmotras, the Russian and Ukrainian rocket-for-hire company. The Dnepr is a converted Cold War SS-18 intercontinental ballistic missile.

New and different payloads
Externally, Genesis 2 looks very similar to the company’s earlier orbital module. However, the newer craft will carry a variety of new and different payloads and experiments, along with enhanced systems, Gold advised.

Onboard the next-to-be-launched expandable module, Gold said that additional cameras are to relay images down to several ground locales — an expansion of Bigelow’s mission control network beyond the Las Vegas complex.

“We’re first adding ground sites domestically…with possible international sites after that. The more stations we have, the more data and value we obtain from our missions,” Gold said.

Bigelow Aerospace also introduced with the Genesis 2 mission a “Fly Your Stuff” program. Orders are no longer being accepted so engineers can ready Genesis 2 for takeoff.

The Fly Your Stuff participation program enables customers to send individual items into Earth orbit onboard the Genesis 2 module. Once the craft is in space, the objects inside the module are to be photographed by onboard cameras for down-link to Earth—and a way to create a revenue stream too.

Sundancer
Bigelow Aerospace leader, Robert Bigelow, unveiled more details about his entrepreneurial habitat plans in September, spotlighting a new module project that is dubbed Sundancer.

That craft would offer 180 cubic meters of habitable space, fully-equipped with life support systems, attitude control, on-orbit maneuverability, as well as reboost and de-orbit capability. This larger module—sporting a trio of windows—could support a three-person crew and be on-orbit in a late 2009-2010 time frame, Bigelow reported.

Gold said that work is already underway in designing Sundancer. Genesis 2, in fact, will carry technology that could be implemented in the Sundancer module. Furthermore, Sundancer is itself a progressive step toward the BA-330 orbital habitat. The “330” signifies the cubic meters of that module’s internal volume.

Lessons learned from the performance of both Genesis 2 and Sundancer is driving the design and schedule of future projects, such as the BA-330, Gold said.

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