【Scenario】
TheprofitpotentialofofferingEarth'sfirstorbitalhotellodgingshavealsonotescapednotice.RobertBigelow,theownerofBudgetSuitesofAmerica,whichhasmadehimquitewealthy,isnowinvestingmorethan$500millionofhisownmoneyinbuildingtheworld'sfirstorbitingcommercialspacestation.Ifhesucceedswiththisambitiousplan,Bigelow'sbusinessplanisforhimtothenrentoutsuitesonthespacestationfor$18.95millionamonth.Asaweinspiringasthatfiguremaysound,theRussianscharge$20millionforjustaweekontheInternationalSpaceStationviaSoyuzrocketandtherehavealreadybeenseveralpeoplewhohavepaidthat.
【MainText】
"Bigelowisbetting$500millionthathecanmakehisspacedreamcometrue.That'saboutthecostofatypicalLasVegasmega-hotelontheStrip,andmorethananyotherprivatespaceventurehasatitsdisposal.BigelowhasalsohiredacadreoftopNASAandcommercialaerospaceengineers,andbythefallof2004,hehadalreadybuiltsubscalespacestationmodelsthatwerenearlyreadytotestinEarthorbit.Ifanyentrepreneurcouldsucceedinlaunchingtheplanet'sfirstcommercialspacestation,itwasBigelow."
—MichaelBelfiore
Inadditiontoestablishinghisownaerospacecompanytodevelopthebasicbuildingblocksoftheproposedorbitalhotel,Bigelowalsorealizesgettinghisgueststoandfromthefrontdoor—orairlock—wassomethingthatwouldalsoneedtobeaddressed.Sinceheisalreadybusywithhisownprogram,heishopinganX-Prizestyleapproachmaybearfruitthere.Accordingly,Bigelowhaslaunchedwhathecalled"America'sSpacePrize"—$50millionforthefirstnon-governmentventuretosuccessfullysendpeopleintoorbit.Bigelowwillpaythe$50millionprizehimselfbecauseherealizestransportationwillbeacriticalissueinmakinghisorbitingspacehotelwork.
ThedeadlineforwinningBigelow's$50millionprizeisJanuary10,2010,whichisalsothedateBigelowplansonhavinghisorbitalspacestationupandoperational.Inadditiontothe$50millionprizemoney,BigelowAerospacewillalsoofferthewinneracontracttocarryoutsixflightsovera12-to18-monthperiod,withanoptionforanother24flightsoverthefollowingfouryears.Thatinitialcontractwillbeworth$200millionandtheoptionanother$800millionin2004dollars.
Ratherthanmerelytalkingaboutwhatitplanstodo,BigelowAerospaceisactuallymakinggoodprogresstowardsitsgoalofprovidingspacehabitationcapability.Thecompanyhassuccessfullylaunchedtwoone-third-scaletestversionsofitsself-containedspacestationmodules,dubbedtheBA-330.Thesetestversionsarecurrentlyinorbitgeneratingdatafortheongoingdevelopmentprogram.
Thefull-sizeBA-330modulesarealsounderconstruction.Theycostaround$100millioneachandareforty-fivefeetlongandtwenty-twofeetindiameter.Oncelaunchedintospace,theywillhavemorehabitablevolumethananyotherstructureeverlaunched,includingtheInternationalSpaceStation.Thesemoduleshaveaveryuniquedesignfeature—theirouterhullisactuallyinflatableratherthanamoretraditionalrigidshell.Onceinflated,theBA-330moduleswillhavefivelayersofcarbon-fibercompositeswhichcanwithstandmicrometeorstrikesevenbetterthanthealuminumstructuresusedontheInternationalSpaceStation.