Inflatable module for ISS

[smjjames]

And do I have to mention again that not a single person in history has gone crazy or whatever from the tight spaces on orbital spacecraft?

These are TRAINED astronauts that we are talking about, they are mentally prepared for it.

[vger]

When do you think trips onto orbit won't be limited to people who aren't astronauts or the ridiculously wealthy? Anybody who wants to go to space probably knows its going to be a little smaller than their 8-bedroom manor.

The point isn't about making space accessible to the middle or lower class (though that would be nice). The point is that super-rich is already a ridiculous limiter on the target demographic. Having to be "saner than Spock" on top of "richer than Midas" is a limitation that we can do away with. Anything that widens the demographic is an improvement.

Edited March 16, 2015 by vger

[DaveofDefeat]

People in submarines have no way out - if the submarine breaks they all die. In the event of an emergency on orbit, assuming they don't immediately die, they can just get in the Soyuz and deorbit. Home in a few hours!

How do you escape from a sinking submarine?

Most U.S. Navy submarines have two escape routes-called "escape trunks"-that can be used to escape if ever needed. They work like an "air lock" that you may have seen in a movie. The men climb into the escape trunk wearing a special life preserver that has a hood on it to provide a bubble of air to breathe. When the lower hatch is shut, the trunk is filled with water and pressurized to sea pressure. The trunk's outside hatch opens, and the men float to the surface.

How are people rescued from a sunken submarine?

There are systems built into the submarine to assist the crew to escape safely, if required. The Navy has also developed two rescue submarines called Deep Submersible Rescue Vehicles (DSRV). You may have seen them in the movies, Hunt for Red October, or Gray Lady Down. They drive up to the damaged submarine, mate to the escape hatch and take the crew to safety. New technologies are planned for incorporation into the next generation rescue system called the "Submarine Rescue Diving and Recompression System."

http://www.navy.mil/navydata/cno/n87/faq.html

[Bill Phil]

Not only are astronauts mentally prepared, but they have a lot of things to do. Keeping them mentally stimulated. Problem when going to Mars is that the only stuff to do might be routine checks of the craft. That and exercise.

[vger]

I know it's 99% likely that their habitat won't take this shape, but I really hope one day as a result of this, someone will be doing this thing...

Edited March 16, 2015 by vger

[Albert VDS]

"On December 20, 2012, NASA awarded Bigelow Aerospace a US$17.8 million contract to construct the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module, under NASA's Advanced Exploration Systems (AES) Program."

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/news/beam_feature.html

Still, I don't think so. I'm not American.

There are no new markets. There is government-sponsored research to develop new technology that might or might not be used for commercial purposes. In the end, commercial space only exists because the government is paying for it.

OK, they think they can open new markets. Obviously you think they wont. Either way, it's not set in stone that one of you is right or wrong.

The goverment is only paying them to help them be viable companies, which actually worked out so far for Spacex.

[Nibb31]

The point isn't about making space accessible to the middle or lower class (though that would be nice). The point is that super-rich is already a ridiculous limiter on the target demographic. Having to be "saner than Spock" on top of "richer than Midas" is a limitation that we can do away with. Anything that widens the demographic is an improvement.

If it's space tourism that you're talking about:

- Space tourism will always be uber-expensive, simply because energy is expensive and you need a lot of it to accelerate someone from 0 to 26000km/h.

- No space tourists are going to spend more than a few days on orbit. Because it will be expensive, and also because there simply isn't that much to do.

- - - Updated - - -

Truck drivers, cubicle workers, submariners, and men on the ISS all have one thing in common. In the back of their mind they know there's a way out. But when you're months away from being able to get out of the box you're trapped in knowing that death is just outside the door things change. You don't have that security, you don't have that way out.

On how many occasions have astronaut panic attacks on long duration space flight caused problems ? Long duration isolation experiments have been conducted for decades now and the medical corps knows how to deal with it.

People here are speculating about something that isn't even a thing.

Edited March 16, 2015 by Nibb31

[Bill Phil]

Then why does NASA care at all about the space in craft? They would've already gone to Mars if they could just shove people in a box. But they know that would cause problems. That's why they're interested in it. It's 330 cubic meters ( on the BA 330) for 20 mTs. That's cost effective if nothing else. One launch and less payload to orbit required.

[Brethern]

If it's space tourism that you're talking about:

- Space tourism will always be uber-expensive, simply because energy is expensive and you need a lot of it to accelerate someone from 0 to 26000km/h.

- No space tourists are going to spend more than a few days on orbit. Because it will be expensive, and also because there simply isn't that much to do.

- - - Updated - - -

On how many occasions have astronaut panic attacks on long duration space flight caused problems ? Long duration isolation experiments have been conducted for decades now and the medical corps knows how to deal with it.

People here are speculating about something that isn't even a thing.

Except if you bothered to read above those long duration space experiments happened in low earth orbit, on a station with a relatively easy method of returning to earth should it become necessary.

As long as the person knows there's a way out it's not a true test of long duration.

[Kibble]

They would've already gone to Mars if they could just shove people in a box.

There are much more important issues with piloted interplanetary expeditions than internal volume.

[comham]

Don't forget that Bigelow bought the inflatable module technology from NASA initially, so it's not all private hard work that got it to this stage.

[PakledHostage]

But when you're months away from being able to get out of the box you're trapped in knowing that death is just outside the door things change. You don't have that security, you don't have that way out.

This begs the question: How did we ever explore our own planet if human's don't have the fortitude to survive "trapped for months in a box, knowing that death is just outside your door"? Death is just outside the hull when you're on a ship, too. Whether you know how to swim or not, falling off a boat at sea is about as lethal as falling off a cliff. You might survive but chances are you won't because your melon sized head is very difficult to spot. Ocean passages in the age of discovery would take months or years, the ships they used were tiny and cramped, and the statistical probability of reaching home again wasn't very good for the average crew member. Storms, disease, hostile natives, etc. all took their toll yet people still went. It may be difficult to understand for someone who's only ever known a comfortable urban life, but there are plenty of hardy people in the world who not only can survive harsh and isolated conditions; they thrive in them.

[Camacha]

It may be difficult to understand for someone who's only ever known a comfortable urban life, but there are plenty of hardy people in the world who not only can survive harsh and isolated conditions; they thrive in them.

Exactly this. Though our plumb and chubby bottoms might not be used to it, humanity was built on perilous expeditions and hopeless travels, all in the name of money, fame, and possibly most importantly, curiosity.

[vger]

Ocean passages in the age of discovery would take months or years, the ships they used were tiny and cramped, and the statistical probability of reaching home again wasn't very good for the average crew member.

I don't know where you're getting "years." A wandering ship that just pointed in one direction to see if there was anything on the other side?

It took Columbus about 5 weeks to reach the Americas.

Also, a thing about sailors. People who went on suicide voyages like that were often beggars and homeless folks who actually saw it as an improvement to their current living standards. And it came with the promise of a paycheck and the hope of finding untold riches.

Similar goes for illegal immigrants getting smuggled in crates, luggage, and who knows what else. Though the transit time is still a fraction of life in space.

The general point though is: desperation. Try that recruitment system with the space program and see how well it works out.

Edited March 16, 2015 by vger

[Camacha]

I don't know where you're getting "years." A wandering ship that just pointed in one direction to see if there was anything on the other side?

Merchant ships used to take around a year or so to get to their destination. Life was hard, dangerous and unsure, and any return home would certainly take two or more years, though ever getting back home was uncertain too.

The general point though is: desperation. Try that recruitment system with the space program and see how well it works out.

You needed a crew to operate a ship. The lower ranking crew was probably expendable, the higher tiers less and less.

Now, we have technology to sustain us and probes to scout for us. That seems to work out pretty well so far.

Edited March 16, 2015 by Camacha

[Brethern]

This begs the question: How did we ever explore our own planet if human's don't have the fortitude to survive "trapped for months in a box, knowing that death is just outside your door"? Death is just outside the hull when you're on a ship, too. Whether you know how to swim or not, falling off a boat at sea is about as lethal as falling off a cliff. You might survive but chances are you won't because your melon sized head is very difficult to spot. Ocean passages in the age of discovery would take months or years, the ships they used were tiny and cramped, and the statistical probability of reaching home again wasn't very good for the average crew member. Storms, disease, hostile natives, etc. all took their toll yet people still went. It may be difficult to understand for someone who's only ever known a comfortable urban life, but there are plenty of hardy people in the world who not only can survive harsh and isolated conditions; they thrive in them.

There's a huge difference between a sea going vessel and a airtight spacecraft. For one The vessel has allot more space to move around on and you're able to get fresh air and sunlight whenever you need it. For the spacecraft going out to get fresh air isn't a thing, even if you do go on a space walk you're still trapped inside an airtight suit.

[PakledHostage]

I don't know where you're getting "years." A wandering ship that just pointed in one direction to see if there was anything on the other side?

Yes, years. Years before they would get back to somewhere resembling their own civilizations. Getting off a ship on some godforsaken place wasn't much better than a death sentence. Consider, for example, the fate of Juan de Cartagena and his co-conspirator, the priest Pedro Sanchez de la Reina who were left behind by Magellan on an island off the Patagonian coast after the Easter Mutiny during Magellan's historic voyage. No trace of them was ever found again.

Edit:

There's a huge difference between a sea going vessel and a airtight spacecraft. For one The vessel has allot more space to move around on and you're able to get fresh air and sunlight whenever you need it. For the spacecraft going out to get fresh air isn't a thing, even if you do go on a space walk you're still trapped inside an airtight suit.

I guess we'll have to agree to disagree then.

Edited March 16, 2015 by PakledHostage

[Bill Phil]

There are much more important issues with piloted interplanetary expeditions than internal volume.

Life support would be easy with less volume. Consumables would only be a few tons. The problem is volume. Apollo was tight and they were using fold away seats to increase the usable volume, and only spent a week or so in the craft. Volume comes with mass, and for anything more than a trip to the moon or a 14 day stay needs volume. That's a big barrier for Mars exploration.

Edited March 16, 2015 by Bill Phil

[Albert VDS]

If you wanted to go to India(from Europe) you had to sail south, around the coast of Africa.

[Sampa]

it's kind of interesting that NASA is deciding NOW to install a habitat module for the crew, given that that was in the original plans but was cut as it was found to be unnecessary (given you don't need a designated bed in orbit; just take your sleeping bag and stick it to a wall anywhere in the station and BOOM, instant sleeping berth!)

[sal_vager]

I imagine this module will be as much fun as an inside-out bouncy castle in zero gravity can be

[Sampa]

I imagine this module will be as much fun as an inside-out bouncy castle in zero gravity can be

I'm not sure it would be too wise to jump around too much. I suspect to make it as light as possible, they had to make the walls fairly thin, like the Apollo Lunar Module cabin. the skin in the LEM, as it was commonly called, were so thin that you could easily puncture it

[vger]

I'm not sure it would be too wise to jump around too much. I suspect to make it as light as possible, they had to make the walls fairly thin, like the Apollo Lunar Module cabin. the skin in the LEM, as it was commonly called, were so thin that you could easily puncture it

It's designed to deflect debris hitting it at 30000kph and you're worried about someone kicking a hole in it? I think we're building things a bit differently these days, regardless.

Edited March 16, 2015 by vger

[Sampa]

Well, just making sure I have my priorities straight!

[vger]

I guess we'll see what the folks up there do with it after its been attached.

I assume it will actually get some use.