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Inflatable Space Hotel

An experimental spacecraft bankrolled by an American real estate magnate successfully inflated in orbit, testing a technology that could be used to fulfil his dream of building a commercial space station.

In a brief statement posted on his website, entrepreneur Robert Bigelow said the Genesis I satellite had "expanded" as planned several hours after liftoff today. No other details were provided.


The launch was a first for the startup company, Bigelow Aerospace, founded by Bigelow, who owns the Budget Suites of America hotel chain. Bigelow is among several entrepreneurs attempting to break into the fledgling manned commercial spaceflight business.

Mission controllers established communication with Genesis I about seven hours after launch. Early indications showed its GPS tracking system was working and that it had deployed its solar panels.

Bigelow hopes to use inflation technology to build an expandable orbital outpost made up of several Genesis-like modules strung together like sausage links that could serve as a space hotel, science lab or even a sports arena.

Bigelow has committed $665 million towards building a commercial space station by 2015. So far, $100 million has been spent on the project. Because Wednesday's unmanned mission was experimental, Bigelow said he was prepared for problems.

Only a few space tourists will be content with a short ride into orbit followed by a uncomfortable stay inside a cramped spaceplane or capsule. They will want at least a semblance of the kinds of comforts available on the cheapest package vacation. Therefore the “space hotel” is the minimum system needed to give the industry a chance to grow beyond just a limited number of hardy adventurers. A space hotel will be the one place where tourists will be able to relax and enjoy themselves without suffering from the embarrassments and claustrophobia that are inevitable when someone with minimal training flies into orbit in a capsule or small vehicle.

The watermelon-shaped Genesis I is a one-third scale prototype of the commercial space station to which the company eventually hopes to fly humans. Unlike the rigid aluminium international space station, Genesis I consists of a flexible outer shell and is layered with tough material such as Kevlar, which is found in bulletproof police vests, to withstand flying space debris.

The 1,260kg Genesis I measured 4.2 metres long and 1.2 metres wide at launch and inflated to twice that width in orbit. It carried insects that scientists hope to study to determine how well they survive the flight. Equipped with a dozen cameras to be aimed at the Earth, the spacecraft will circle the planet for at least five years while scientists study its durability.

In the 1990s, NASA studied inflatable technology for a possible trip to Mars, but later dropped the idea after deciding inflatable modules were too expensive. Bigelow Aerospace then licensed the technology from NASA.

Later this year the company hopes to launch Genesis II. Over the next several years, the company plans to test larger prototype spacecraft, including a full-scale mock-up slated to launch in 2012.


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