"These are new times; showing people understand that money is needed," concluded the organizers of ISS. Image of America's Space Prize, courtesy of Bigelow Aerospace (click to enlarge).
Space events heads up: Bigelow's b-plan revealed April 10 in Colo Springs; annual ISS conference May 24-28 in Texas

Posted: Mar 13, 2007 09:31 pm EDT
(Pythom.com) Two big space gatherings are up in US: Bigelow will reveal his business plan in Colorado next month, while in Texas one month later - the big annual ISS conference will kick off. Here go the details:

Bigelow's secret

Bigelow Aerospace will be making a series of important announcements during an April 10 press conference at the National Space Symposium. Robert will be revealing the companys business strategy as part of the Space Foundations symposium taking place from April 9 to 12 at the Broadmoor resort in Colorado Springs. For the first time, we will be presenting our business plans that we have kept to ourselves until now, Bigelow said in a previous statement.

Bigelow Aerospace successfully launched the first privately funded space complex module Genesis I last July and is in final preparations for the launch of the second pathfinder complex module - Genesis II - this April.

Meet the players: Texas ISS pre-registration ends Thursday!

Also, pre-registration for the 26th annual International Space Development Conference ends this Thursday, March 15. This event takes place May 24-28 in Dallas, Texas and is organized by the National Space Society (NSS).

Here are some of the confirmed speakers:

Rep. Nick Lampson, United States Congress, 22nd District, Texas; Robert Bigelow CEO, Bigelow Aerospace; John Carmack CEO, Armadillo Aerospace; Buzz Aldrin, Lunar Module Pilot Apollo 11; Rusty Schweickart, Lunar Module Pilot Apollo 9; Hugh Downs Chairman NSS Board of Governors; Pete Worden Director, NASA Ames Research Center; Michael Coats Director, NASA Johnson Space Center; Dr. Steve Squyres, Principal Scientist, NASA Mars Exploration Rovers; Shannon Lucid Astronaut, Scientist; Laurie Leshin, Director of Sciences and Exploration, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center; Paul Spudis Geologist and Lunar Scientist; Larry Niven, Science Fiction Author.

America's Space Prize Ten Primary Rules of Competition:

1. The Spacecraft must reach a minimum altitude of 400 km (approx. 250 miles);
2. The Spacecraft must reach a minimum velocity sufficient to complete two (2) full orbits at altitude before returning safely to Earth;
3. The Spacecraft must carry no less than a crew of five (5) people;
4. The Spacecraft must dock or demonstrate its ability to dock with a Bigelow Aerospace expandable space habitat and be capable of remaining on station for at least six (6) months;
5. The Spacecraft must perform two (2) consecutive, safe and successful orbital missions within a period of sixty (60) calendar days, subject to Government regulations;
6. No more than twenty percent (20%) of the Spacecraft may be composed of expendable hardware (the term 'Spacecraft' encompasses the launch vehicle in its entirety, including but not limited to, any and all fuel tanks, external rockets, carrier craft, and boosters);
7. The contestant must be domiciled in the United States of America;
8. The Contestant must have its principal place of business in the United States of America;
9. The Competitor must not accept or utilize Government development funding related to this Contest of any kind, nor shall there be any Government ownership of the Competitor. Using Government test and launch facilities shall be permitted;
10. The Spacecraft must complete two (2) missions safely and successfully, with all five (5) crew members aboard for the second qualifying flight before the competition's deadline of January 10, 2010.






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