Commericialization: Space hotel/workspace

Space stations, space settlements or going to Mars, all sounds exciting but space is now being commercialized. A company named Bigelow Aerospace is creating a futuristic and low-cost station that can be accessed by civilians or general industries for research. As of now, there are only two countries which have space stations, USA and China. Having a private space station and that to be at a low cost can be a revolutionizing idea in the coming future.

The owner of the company has created lots of motels and now look towards a space hotel. This space station is really cheap to produce as it can be inflated by nitrogen and oxygen and according to the research by the company, it is said to be better against space debris and particles.

One of the modules of this space hotel is currently being tested at International Space Station. It is said that civilians can be taken to this station through Boeing’s starliner.

The space technologies are increasing at a fast rate and there will be a time when more than 10,000 people will be living in a space settlement.

Here is a clip from CNN which talks about this wonderful technology.

2 thoughts on “Commericialization: Space hotel/workspace

  1. As a founder of Budget Suite of America, Bigelow wanted to expand his business to space, seeing it as a new frontier for tourism. He knew his space habitats could also be of use to corporations/countries without established space programs.
    After a successful launch of his Expandable Activity Module, everyone wanted a piece of the action including: NASA, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin rocket company, and Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin rocket company. If the company is successful, Bigelow anticipates space hotels becoming a 100-billon dollar industry in the next 5 years.
    I think this is really cool concept. I can appreciate how Bigelow saw an old idea and didn’t scrap it. He wanted to improve upon the design using it to launch his own model, the space hotel. This is the work of a true creative. Just as we have been discussing in class, throughout the video we see him talking about their company’s methods to tackling a design flaw or issue and the modifications they used. Bigelow was able to find a design that was more efficient and cost effective, making space habitation available for more people, as well as benefiting those already involved in space exploration. In creating a new design, it’s important to collaborate and not belittle others ideas. Bigelow recognized this as a necessary process to accomplish his vision.
    “We need to inspire bigger dreams. A headset that turns on a virtual reality is nowhere near as exciting as living that reality in space.” Bigelow sought to nurture human curiosity in space exploration. Rather than giving people something that imitated space travel, he wanted technology to encourage people to become active participants in their world, an ambitious and admirable notion.

    http://fortune.com/2016/05/19/robert-bigelow-hotels-space/

  2. I find that space travel is something of great interest despite the speculation. This travel would consist an expandable module and as the video states, it could link up with either the US or Chinese space station. There definitely is large interest despite the massive $25 million cost for 110 cubic feet for 60 days. This is relatively cheap as the module is inflated rather than being a fixed metal structure that Lockheed Martin is developing. However, what I want to know is how user or passenger would would experience it and also what are some of the design flaws regarding the expandable module so that fewer people can be at risk up in space. I wasn’t able to find a whole lot of information about this online, and it would definitely benefit the consumer. Additionally, is exploiting the moon and other areas a plan for the future, especially when considering the huge demand just to go to the space station?

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2016/04/16/space-hotels-close-as-inflatable-pod-joined-to-international-spa/

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