
SpaceX is launching an inflatable space habitat - cryptoz
http://techcrunch.com/2016/03/29/spacex-is-launching-an-inflatable-space-habitat/
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drzaiusapelord
This is kinda a dick headline. The real credit should be to Bigelow for
building the BEAM. Its a very impressive solution and I believe the first full
scale habitat inflatable in space. I guess the SEO people at techcrunch know
words like 'SpaceX' gets results, but this article is like saying "American
Airlines sends Obama to Chicago." Instead of "Obama visits Chicago." The
transportation isn't the story here. The cargo is.

Some details and photos of the BEAM here:

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bigelow_Expandable_Activity_Mo...](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bigelow_Expandable_Activity_Module)

[http://bigelowaerospace.com/beam/](http://bigelowaerospace.com/beam/)

Kudos to the team at Bigelow for making it this far. Let's hope for a
successful deployment. Inflatables have often been assumed to be how we'll
build habits off planet. They're light but durable and could soon be deployed
on the moon with our current technology to act as a semi-permanent base.
Imagine a dozen of these tied together. The lift cost would be a fraction of
what a 'hard' habitat would cost.

Or from less ambitious perspective, one of these acting as a commercial space
hotel. Space tourism works better with a destination.

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sktrdie
I'm super passionate of space habitats and have done extensive reading about
them. This is not a _habitat_ in the real sense of the word. It provides a
more spacious environment for the ISS. Therefore, it's just an extension to
the already existing science _laboratory_ (not habitat).

For humans, a habitat should replicate earth's environment. Gravity is the
first thing that comes to mind, but there are other things it should provide.

I hope in the near future we work on actually building/sending habitats in
space with the goal of actually living there, and not only for scientific
research.

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jarmitage
What are your top recommendations for readings/lectures/challenges for those
interested in the topic?

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cromulent
Probably not what you had in mind, but I found Neal Stephenson's novel
Seveneves to be very thought provoking on the subject. I had never thought of
inflatables before I read that.

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eric_h
Agreed - I very much enjoyed the exploration of what it would take to support
a major colony in orbit.

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ChuckMcM
Ohhh, the soft walls, the lack of windows, and a lockable door between it and
the rest of the space station? What is not to like? Might as well try out some
of those "hotel room" features to help Bigelow design a better room for space
tourists.

I was really excited to see Bigelow's ideas here, and have enjoyed seeing
stories of their test modules floating around in orbit. It seems to make a lot
of sense if you want something that transports small, and grows big when it is
deployed (no joke intended). I remember thinking it was like one of those "pop
up" tent trailers you see at the campground. Easy to transport but very
spacious and useful once set up.

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JoeAltmaier
I'd like to see one designed that could be manufactured in orbit, or on the
moon. That could jumpstart space manufacturing and expansion like nothing
else.

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jlebar
How is sending up raw materials better than sending up completed parts? At
best, the total weight is the same, but if you're doing manufacturing in
space, you also have to send up tools.

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JoeAltmaier
No! The raw materials are already on the moon (bauxite). Just send up tools,
then make unlimited modules.

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jlebar
OP talked about manufacturing both on the moon _and_ "in orbit", making no
distinction between the two...

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ceejayoz
It should be noted that this is for NASA to the ISS, and not for human use.
They'll check it out occasionally and maybe use it for storage after a while.

Still, it seems like the way of the future for human living spaces. I visited
the Air and Space Museum in DC and the Skylab was amazingly roomy compared to
ISS modules.

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ortusdux
I hope everything works out with this test. B330, the larger variant, could be
launched on a Falcon Heavy and add 35% to the volume of the ISS in one go.

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jessriedel
A little related discussion:
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11374655](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11374655)

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carapace
Spittle Bug.

Expanding: Space craft and stations should be modelled on the spittle bug's
nest, a cluster of bubbles.

These metal cans are a conceptual hold-over.

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onetimePete
That robot-arm is a miracle, it can attach-crawl from docking station to
docking station across the whole station.

Standing ovations for NASA!

~~~
kevin_thibedeau
It's from Canada eh.

~~~
erikpukinskis
Shots of maple syrup for everyone!

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JoeAltmaier
I've always thought that Mars missions should 'drag a bag' behind an atomic
rocket. The best shielding is the inverse-square law. Put the habitable part
of the mission vehicle several miles from the fissionables! At the end of a
tether.

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LeifCarrotson
But directly behind the rocket is where most of the energy goes.

I'd also be curious how the tether would avoid getting cooked by the rocket
exhaust. I think a long mast, putting the riders in front of a large mass of
fuel, would be much simpler.

But you're right, it is a lot easier to design an ultra-light, super-strong
tether than a giant mast.

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pavel_lishin
Unless you put in two exhausts, jutting out at an angle, adding up to forward
thrust.

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vkou
That is extremely wasteful, in an environment where every drop of rocket fuel
is precious.

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JoeAltmaier
Its possible that the exhaust could be made to disperse without losing much
thrust - like a defocussed electron beam. Just so long as its cool enough when
it hits the habitat. Which could have an aluminum-foil shield or some such...

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IgorPartola
If they don't call it a moon bounce I will be really mad.

