Talk:Bigelow Aerospace

Genesis-1

Can anyone find a time for the G1 launch? --GW_Simulations_{|User Page | Talk | Contribs | E-mail} 21:03, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

According to this article it launched at 6:53 PM Moscow time, which I believe would be 15:53 UTC. --StuffOfInterest 23:54, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

The following Dnepr was a failed launch. Any impact on the second Genesis ? Hektor 11:37, 29 July 2006 (UTC)

Discounts/Sales Info

Not sure that "A quantity between 3 to 5 items will receive a 10 percent discount, making the price $265.50 each." belongs. Removing it for now. Augustz 16:47, 6 September 2006 (UTC)

Expanding my previous reasoning per a question. To have a 10% discount on some product if you buy between 3 and 5 of that product is not really notable. The pricing information is short lived as well (the program that this level of pricing detail is given for is only going to be around 30 more days). Wikipedia is not an advertising service for products and promotions. I left that the price was $295 for the fly your stuff program, so it's not pricing info, but special promotions and sales info that was removed. It may be interesting to get some more viewpoints on this, as I haven't done a lot of editing, but have followed wikipedia a long time. Augustz 19:28, 10 September 2006 (UTC)

Not that I'm wildly opposed to the edit (though I did ask about it) but I'd think maybe something like "$265-$295, based on quantity" (or whatever) might have been fair. I see the issue with the potential advertising view of things. What's the frequency, Kenneth? 20:15, 31 January 2007 (UTC)

Module names

Why are the Genesis modules named with Arabic numerals rather than Roman Numerals? The Bigalow site uses Roman format, so one would think that would be the proper method on here as well... Any specific reasons? -- Huntster ^{T • @ • C} 05:24, 4 October 2006 (UTC)

Roman numerals is the correct usage. I've fixed a few in the Bigelow Aerospace entries. Spitwater 22:34, 31 January 2007 (UTC)

Thanks, always nice to have a person on-board with inside knowledge. Just avoid the conflict-of-interest thing, eh?  ;) -- Huntster ^{T • @ • C} 01:48, 1 February 2007 (UTC)

Durability

The statement that an inflatable space station should be more durable, while plausible, is not backed up. The link given as a reference is just an MSNBC story that mentions, among other things, that "in theory" an inflatable station should be more resistant to micrometeorite damange than other designs. That's pretty weak sauce.

Again, the statement doesn't seem outrageous, given that there is some easy way to patch the inevitable punctures, but whose theory are we talking about here? Are there any competing theories? Has any of this been tested? I would expect that actual technical papers on the subject are not hard to come by, and these would be much more convincing. -Dmh 16:53, 10 November 2006 (UTC)

The article does not state the modules will be more durable than conventional stations, it states that Bigelow Aerospace anticipates that they will. I'm still not sure that article is a good source on that either. --Sindri 17:25, 10 November 2006 (UTC)

I changed the source to a more detailed article from the BBC. Spitwater 22:40, 31 January 2007 (UTC)

Two modules

Why launch two near-identical modules into two near-identical orbits? Are they gonna dock at some point..? — Jack · talk · 04:46, Monday, 27 August 2007

No, these two modules have no docking capability. This orbit was simply one easily reachable from their launch location, and one that would make it easy to communicate with the craft via Bigelow's various ground stations. Remember, these Genesis modules are just test beds for technology. See their respective articles for more information. -- Huntster ^{T • @ • C} 12:58, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

What I mean is - why would Bigelow Aerospace pay to produce a second Genesis module? What do they stand to gain from manufacturing and launching two modules of such similar design? Why not do Genesis I, and then move on? — Jack · talk · 01:06, Tuesday, 28 August 2007

Considering that such a technology has never been launched by a government, much less a private company, there is much to gain from launching multiple small modules. Why pay even more to develop an entirely new design when you can reuse the same design and just upgrade? Just because they look similar on the outside does not mean they are exactly alike: Genesis II includes a significant number of upgrades to both interior and exterior systems. Read Genesis II (module) for more info. The Genesis craft are termed "pathfinders" for precisely this reason...they forge a road toward the end product, but everything has to start somewhere. -- Huntster ^{T • @ • C} 03:32, 28 August 2007 (UTC)

I see your point. Thanks very much for your help :) — Jack · talk · 22:13, Tuesday, 28 August 2007

No problem. Ask any time ;) -- Huntster ^{T • @ • C} 00:06, 29 August 2007 (UTC)

Orion Lite

It may be too soon for its own article, we should work towards crafting something on the proposed LEO version of Orion that Bigelow put forward this past week. Here are some articles from a basic Google news search. Hiberniantears (talk) 18:47, 21 August 2009 (UTC)

Since my last note, I have gone ahead and created Orion Lite. Hiberniantears (talk) 21:40, 22 August 2009 (UTC)

2006 Interview with Bigelow

I just learned that there is a one-hour first-person interview by Art Bell with Robert Bigelow that was made in 2006 following the successful launch of the Genesis I spacecraft. I have listened to it and found it filled in a number of holes with respect to what I know about Bigelow and about Bigelow Aerospace, his company. The interview is available in four-parts on YouTube: here (part 1), here (part 2), here (part 3), and (part 4) here. Perhaps the links could be added to the external links section of the article; I'm not sure. N2e (talk) 15:07, 26 December 2009 (UTC)

Sadly, because the YouTube uploader is not the copyright holder, the recording there is a copyright violation and we cannot link to it. However, that doesn't mean the interview itself cannot be cited. Just use {{cite video}} (which really should be renamed "cite media") and provide as much information as you can, citing the actual Art Bell show and date of airing. — Huntster (t @ c) 21:56, 26 December 2009 (UTC)

I see your point. Perhaps the new one, from a media site (Space.com) will be more easily used within Wikipedia. See below. N2e (talk) 00:38, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

2007 Interview with Bigelow

I just found another first-person interview with Robert Bigelow, much shorter but more recent. This one is by Space.com, Space News editor Lon Rains. Link is here: Robert Bigelow: Lessons, Visions, Realities..., four minute duration. This one is definitely appropriate for sourcing within the article itself, should some editor have the time and inclination to do so. Notably, this includes Bigelow's claim that his entrepreneurial endeavor at Bigelow Aerospace is about being a "space wholesaler", and that is the role he sees being filled by the Genesis module and the BA330s he intends to place into Low Earth orbit. He does not think it correct to merely call, as some media have, his modules a "space hotel," although that will clearly be one potential use of the orbital craft.N2e (talk) 00:36, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

And here is yet another slice of that same interview, also apparently from the same conference as above, in 2007: Robert Bigelow: Who owns the next five decades in space?, Space.com Space News, about seven minutes duration.

These could potentially be the basis for expanding the article with verifiable citations. But in any case, they will be of interest to encyclpedia reader's who wish to know what's up with Bigelow Aerospace and its' plans. N2e (talk) 00:36, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

Over the next couple of weeks, I hope to clean up and expand the BA 330, Bigelow Aerospace, and Robert Bigelow articles, as I've previously done with the Genesis, Galaxy and Sundancer articles. I'll incorporate as many of these sources as I can in the appropriate articles. At this point, I don't think we have to worry about having too many! — Huntster (t @ c) 04:10, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

Bigelow update -- January 2010

Recently published interview by Leonard David here: Private Space Stations Edge Closer to Reality. I hope to get back to the WP article later and update a few things based on the article. Other's are welcome to do so as well. Cheers. N2e (talk) 19:39, 21 January 2010 (UTC)

2011 date?

This and other articles contain the claim (repeated several times) that Bigelow has reserved a Falcon9 rocket in 2011. The cited SpaceX page does not show this. Rather, it shows Bigelow scheduled for 2014. 72.177.12.71 (talk) 05:57, 13 February 2010 (UTC)