TO THE MOON, MARS, AND BEYOND

Many folks would like to see us back on the Moon and developing its resources.

Monday, January 14, 2013

NASA, BIGELOW OFFICIALS TO DISCUSS SPACE STATION EXPANDABLE MODULE


NASA has awarded BIGELOW a $17.8 million contract to provide a new addition to the ISS. 
Too bad the early TransHab project in the 1990's was dropped. 
Good that Bigelow purchased the rights to the patents developed by NASA.
- LRK -
This illustration shows a Bigelow inflatable module attached to the ISS. - NASA

This illustration shows a Bigelow inflatable module attached to the ISS. - NASA

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NASA, BIGELOW OFFICIALS TO DISCUSS SPACE STATION EXPANDABLE MODULE
MEDIA ADVISORY: M13-011

WASHINGTON -- NASA has awarded a $17.8 million contract to Bigelow Aerospace to provide a new addition to the International Space Station. The Bigelow Expandable Activity Module will demonstrate the benefits of this space habitat technology for future exploration and commercial space endeavors.

"The International Space Station is a unique laboratory that enables important discoveries that benefit humanity and vastly increase understanding of how humans can live and work in space for long periods," NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver said. "This partnership agreement for the use of expandable habitats represents a step forward in cutting-edge technology that can allow humans to thrive in space safely and affordably, and heralds important progress in U.S. commercial space innovation."

Garver and Bigelow Aerospace Founder and President Robert Bigelow will discuss the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module program at a media availability at 1:30 p.m. EST (10:30 a.m. PST) Wednesday, Jan. 16, at Bigelow Aerospace facilities located at 1899 W. Brooks Ave. in North Las Vegas.

To attend, media representatives must contact Mike Gold at mgold@bigelowaerospace.com by 8 p.m. EST (5 p.m. PST) Jan. 15.

Journalists interested in a one-on-one interview with Garver should contact Sarah Ramsey at 202-215-9680 or sarah.ramsey@nasa.gov or Michael Cabbage at 202-549-8073 or mcabbage@nasa.gov.

For more information about Bigelow Aerospace, visit: http://www.bigelowaerospace.com

For information about NASA and agency programs, visit: http://www.nasa.gov

-end-

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Some links about the above announcement.
- LRK -

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More information, images, and notes from NASA Spaceflight.
- LRK -

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Expanding on Bigelow’s inflatable module for the ISS
January 12, 2013 by Pete Harding, Chris Bergin

NASA managers are set to provide details on the deal they have signed with Bigelow Aerospace for an inflatable module to become part of the International Space Station (ISS). The Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM) will be a vital testbed for future applications and may ride to the ISS inside the trunk of a SpaceX Dragon.

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And of course see Bigelow
- LRK -
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http://www.bigelowaerospace.com/index.php

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AND WHEN WE EXPLORE THE MOON IN 2020 -- OH, OH, SORRY I HEARD WE HAVE BEEN THERE AND DON'T NEED TO DO THAT. i wonder if the tests that Bigelow will now get to perform will make it easier for the following post come true.
- LRK -

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Inflatable Habitat Blog  01.17.08

When NASA astronauts explore the moon starting in 2020, they’ll stay for about a week to start out and then gradually lengthen their visits as an outpost takes shape. At first, they’ll take everything they need in their lunar landers, but longer stays will require more support than one lander can deliver.
jsc2008e005490 -- Team members from NASA, the National Space Foundation and ILC Dover
Image above: Team members from NASA, the National Space Foundation and ILC Dover install a weather station next to the inflatable habitat. The team is stationed at the McMurdo Complex in Antarctica. Credit: NASA
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Here is to floating in space. 
- LRK -
Inflatable habitats or expandable habitats are pressurized structures capable of supporting life in outer space whose internal volume increases after launch. They have frequently been proposed for use in space applications to provide a greater volume of living space for a given mass.
The first serious design and manufacture of an inflatable space habitat was in 1961 with a space station design produced by Goodyear (although this design was never flown).[1] A proposal released in 1989 by Johnson Space Center's Man Systems Division outlined a 16 metres (52 ft) diameter spherical habitat lunar outpost which was partially buried in the lunar surface.
An inflatable module called TransHab (a portmanteau of Trans Habitation) was proposed for the International Space Station,[2] and later the private company Bigelow Aerospace revived the design for use in a number of potential civil and commercial applications.[3][4] 

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TransHab was a concept pursued by NASA in the 1990s to develop the technology for expandable habitats inflated by air in space. Specifically, TransHab was intended as a replacement for the already existing rigid International Space Station crew Habitation Module. When deflated, inflatable modules provide an 'easier to launch' compact form. When fully inflated, TransHab would expand to 8.2 meters in diameter (compare to the 4.4 meter diameter of the Columbus ISS Module).[1] 

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WHAT THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE, AND BELIEVE, IT WILL ACHIEVE - LRK -

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