Bigelow Aerospace Deploys Genesis 2 Space Module

ThePopeLayton writes "Space.com is reporting that Bigelow Aerospace has successfully launched its Genesis 2 Space Module. This is significant as Bigelow Aerospace is one of a few private groups currently developing space technologies. The module was launched in a compact form and upon achieving a stable orbit will be inflated using compressed air. Bigelow's website is reporting 'the second experimental pathfinder spacecraft has been successfully launched and inserted into orbit.' The module has a variety of things on board: Scorpions, Hissing Cockroaches, Ant colonies, and even a Bingo game."

The bigger picture

[Anonymous Coward]

One might ask why they are doing this. We've been launching balloons into orbit for a long time. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balloon_satellite [wikipedia.org] These guys are moving toward building a space hotel. Tourists could pay zillions of dollars to visit the space hotel and they would make huge profits. To get the money they need to build the space hotel they need credibility. Launching a couple of balloons is supposed to give them the credibility they need with investors.

Technically, the space hotel people's accomplishment is not as good as what the radio amateurs have done. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AMSAT [wikipedia.org] It is more a publicity stunt than scientific advance.

Re:Safety Concerns?

[Anonymous Coward]

TFA does mention that

"..The skin is made of several layers that include proprietary impact-resistant materials. Testing on the ground has shown that the expandable shells of a Bigelow module are much more resistant to space debris than the modules on the International Space Station."

Re:nuts

[zaydana]

Bigelow made his fortune in Las Vegas, so it is kind of fitting.

Re:Safety Concerns?

[owlnation]

I agree with your support of private industry, but a fucking tea company?

Sure, why not. There's an historic precedent. The fastest sailing ships of their time, and new sailing technologies, were developed as a by product of the tea industry in the 19th Century.

I think it's rather fitting, and all quite steampunk really.

Seriously though folks, as other posters have mentioned, there's not nearly enough Space Gigolo posts on this story.

Not sure how serious you're being...

[benhocking]

However, from Wikipedia:

Bigelow Aerospace was founded by Robert Bigelow and is funded by the fortune Bigelow gained through his ownership of the hotel chain Budget Suites of America."

Hence the whole idea of a "space hotel" seems appropriate...

Re:nuts

[Rei]

Well, they need to test some random objects, so why not?

What really got *me* from the summary was this:

This is significant as Bigelow Aerospace is one of a few private groups currently developing space technologies.

Yeah, one of the few. I mean, who ever heard of LatinSat, Nahuelsat, Optus, Star One, INPE, Loral Skynet do Brazil, Mobile Satellite Ventures, Telesat, APT Telecomunications, AsiaSat, Chinasat, Sinosat, Nilesat, France Télécom, Stellat, Télédiffusion de France, Deutsche Telekom, OHB System, Hellas-Sat, Agrani, ISRO, PT Datakom, PT Pasifik Satelit Nusantara, PT Telkom, EuropeStar, Eutelsat, Inmarsat, Intelsat, RASCOM, Worldstar, Spacecom, Broadcasting Satellite Corp.,
JCSat, MBC, NTT DoCoMo, Superbird, JSC KazSat, SES Astra, Binariang Sdn. Bhd. (MEASAT), Satmex, New Skies, NASRDA, Telenor, Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO), Mabuhay, NPO Kosmicheskaya Sviaz, Gazkom, Global Information Systems, Intersputnik, Media Most (Bonum), Arabsat, Singapore Telecommunications, Korea Telecom, Hisdesat, Hispasat, Nordiska Satellitaktiebolaget, Chunghwa Telecom, Shin Satellite, TONGASAT, Eurasiasat SAM, Turksat, Thuraya, ICO Satellite Management, AirTV, Astrolink, DirecTV, EchoStar, Globalstar, Hughes Network Systems (Spaceway), Iridium, Loral Skynet, Orbcomm, PanAmSat, Spacenet, SES Americom, Sirius Satellite Radio, Teledesic, TerreStar, WildBlue, XM Satellite Radio, XTAR, and VINASAT?

(And those are just the satellite companies; never mind the launcher designers and developers, launch operators, subcontractors, developers of all of the individual systems, and so on).

Where did this stupid meme that private industry is only minimally involved in developing space technology come from? NASA would be nothing without Boeing, Lockheed, Orbital Sciences Corp, and dozens of others.

Re:nuts

[d0rp]

I, for one, welcome our new bingo playing mutant space scorpion overlords.

fixed.