Nautilus origin is TransHab, created by NASA in 1997. The work was abruptly cancelled in 2000. Robert bought the entire setup including engineers and re-named the station Nautilus. Image courtesy of Bigelow Aerospace. (Click to enlarge).
People will enter Nautilus through airlocks into a shirtsleeve environment of living and working space. "Skywalker" - a docked rocket engine will allow the station to maneuver within Earths orbit or even leave it for a trip to the moon. Image of TransHab, courtesy of NASA. (Click to enlarge).
Bigelow, a low tech guy who never sent an e-mail, runs his space plant the way he built his fortune in real estate: On a tight leash, overseeing every little detail in person. Image of the Nautilus prototype in Las Vegas, courtesy of Bigelow Aerospace (click to enlarge).
While waiting for Elon's Falcon to take off, Bigelow has contracted the Russian/Ukrainian rocket-for-hire company ISC Kosmotras, to launch a one-third scale version of his space hotel into orbit early next year. Yet Elon has something the Russians don't: "Our launch control center is located on Kwajalein Island. For potential customers out there, I should mention that Kwajalein has some of the worlds best scuba diving and snorkeling!" Image of the Kwajalein Atoll courtesy of SpaceX (..
The competition: Takafumi Horie, 33, the president of Livedoor Co in Japan announced Sunday he plans to offer 2-3 day trips in orbit for 2 million USD by 2008 using Salyut space station. Image of Horie courtesy of the XPrize foundation, Salyut courtesy NASA (click to enlarge).


The new Space hotels: Rooms for rent in orbit, on the Moon, Mars and beyond

Posted: Oct 22, 2005 12:28 am EDT
If you thought that the future of private space travel is still far away, and will reach only sub orbit at best - think again. One year after the XPrize panned out, teams are racing to undercut each other's space travel ticket prices, and a new competition has surfaced - between hotels in Space!

Rates at 2-8 million dollars, and dropping

Space Adventures just brought the latest space tourist safely back home from the ISS at a cost of 20 million dollars. Sunday, Takafumi Horie, 33, the president of Livedoor revealed his plan to offer tickets for a two to three day orbit of the Earth at around 2 million dollars, using a Salyut space station.

Yet the most interesting right now is perhaps Bigelow's inflatable Space Station. Robert is betting 500 million of his own money on the project. If it works out, the Las Vegas Budget suites owner will not only be able to offer tickets at 8 million dollars, or rooms at 1 million per night - but he'll build a chain...on the Moon, Mars - and beyond.

Three level Penthouse

TransHab inflatable space station was created by NASA in 1997. The work was abruptly cancelled in 2000, possibly for political reasons. Robert bought the entire setup including engineers and re-named the station Nautilus.

An inflatable station weigh much less than a regular one, and offers more space. After a rocket fires a Nautilus into space, explosive bolts will inflate the structure and release breathable air. Power comes from solar panels that unfold from bulkheads at each end of the module.

People will enter through airlocks into a shirtsleeve environment of living and working space. "Skywalker" - a docked rocket engine will allow the station to maneuver within Earths orbit or even leave it for a trip to the moon.

The secret of success in Space: Use a winning concept from Earth

Although the project is far gone in terms of hardware, much of Robert's 500 million space budget still remains intact. Bigelow, a low tech guy who never sent an e-mail, runs his space plant on a tight leash controling everything, watching the work of the machinists like a hawk and signing off on all of his engineers designs. When engineers theorize about parts, Robert says, 'Build it. Lets see what it does.'

A self-made man, Bigelow builds his space hotel the way he runs his real estate: Hire the best people, use the best materials, and stay on time and on budget, using off-the-shelf components whenever possible. It's this approach that grants him a great chance of success among betting scientists.

He keeps a close relationship with NASA and TransHab's original creator, NASA senior Engineer Schneider visits the plant every few weeks to provide guidance.

Not-so-free Shuttle rides

Nautilus is being built on a 50-acre, three-building facility at the outskirts of Las Vegas, guarded by men wearing black shoulder patches, featuring an oval-eyed alien face outlined in silver and gold. Veteran space-travel engineers are perfecting the technology, and a $50-million prize is set up to find the best vehicles for the commute.

Much as the case is for his Las Vegas suites, Bigelow is in the hands of others when it comes to transportation to the hotel. Carrier bets are spread between American SpaceX, Russian launch vehicles - and/or winners of Robert's $50 million American Space Prize.

Grand opening January 10, 2010

While waiting for Elon Musk's Falcon to take off, Bigelow has contracted the Russian/Ukrainian rocket-for-hire company ISC Kosmotras, to launch a one-third scale version of the hotel dubbed Genesis into orbit early next year.

The Prize money will finally go to the first privately funded spacecraft that can send five people into orbit, dock with a Bigelow Aerospace habitat and stay there for 6 months. The deadline for the Prize and grand opening of the hotel is set for January 10, 2010.

Bigelow set up his goal to go to space already as a kid. To get the money needed, he went straight into real estate. By 1999 Bigelow had made a fortune, and was investing millions into UFO and paranormal research. His National Institute for Discovery Science (NIDS) was set up in 1995. (Bigelow Aerospace text adapted in part from PopularScience.com)



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