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Galaxy (spacecraft)
''Galaxy'' (previously ''Guardian'') was a canceled prototype space habitat designed by the American firm Bigelow Aerospace, and was intended to be the third spacecraft launched by the company in their efforts to create a commercial space station. Like other modules made by Bigelow Aerospace, ''Galaxy'' was based on the inflatable TransHab design by NASA, and was to be used for advanced systems testing before the company launched human-rated vehicles. Spacecraft history ''Galaxy'' started life as twin spacecraft named ''Guardian'' which would have acted as 45% scale intermediates between the one-third size ''Genesis I'' & '' Genesis II'' pathfinders and the full size ''BA 330'' man-rated module. Sometime after 2004, the two ''Guardian'' flights were split into the ''Galaxy'' module and larger '' Sundancer'' module, each testing progressively advanced systems. This ''Galaxy'' had twice the interior volume of the ''Genesis'' craft: . In 2007, the parameters for ''Galaxy'' were ag ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Space Habitat
A space habitat (also called a space settlement, space colony, spacestead, space city, orbital habitat, orbital settlement, orbital colony, orbital stead or orbital city) is a more advanced form of living quarters than a space station or habitation module, in that it is intended as a permanent settlement or green habitat rather than as a simple way-station or other specialized facility. No space habitat has been constructed yet, but many design concepts, with varying degrees of realism, have come both from engineers and from science-fiction authors. The term ''space habitat'' sometimes includes more broadly habitats built on or in a body other than Earth—such as the Moon, Mars or an asteroid. This article concentrates on self-contained structures envisaged for micro-g environments. Definition A space habitat, or more precisely a space settlement, is any large-scale habitation facility in space, or more particularly in outer space or an orbit. A space habitat is typically de ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sundancer
''Sundancer'' was the proposed third prototype space habitat intended to be launched by Bigelow Aerospace—and the first human-rated expandable module based on TransHab technology acquired from NASA. It was to have been used to test and confirm systems used in the company's commercial space station efforts during the early 2010s, and if successful, would have formed the first piece of the proposed commercial space station. While ''Sundancer'' had been under construction at the Bigelow plant in North Las Vegas, Nevada, the company announced in July 2011 that ''Sundancer'' had been removed from their station evolution path, and that the B330 would become the first production module. Spacecraft history and future Upon its original announcement, ''Sundancer'' was intended to be the fourth module orbited by Bigelow Aerospace. In August 2007, however, it was announced that due to rising space launch costs and the level of success of the first two Bigelow modules launched, the third d ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bigelow Expandable Activity Module
The Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM) is an experimental expandable space station module developed by Bigelow Aerospace, under contract to NASA, for testing as a temporary module on the International Space Station (ISS) from 2016 to at most 2028, when the contract can not be extended any further. It arrived at the ISS on 10 April 2016, was berthed to the station on 16 April 2016, and was expanded and pressurized on 28 May 2016. Although originally planned to be a two year test, it has exceeded expectations and is used as additional cargo storage. The module is under ownership of NASA after Bigelow Aerospace suspended operations in 2021. History NASA originally considered the idea of inflatable habitats in the 1960s, and developed the TransHab inflatable module concept in the late 1990s. The TransHab project was canceled by Congress in 2000, and Bigelow Aerospace purchased the rights to the patents developed by NASA to pursue private space station designs. In 2006 and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
BA 2100
The BA 2100, or ''Olympus'', is a conceptual inflatable space habitat by Bigelow Aerospace. The larger BA 2100 would extend the volume and capabilities of the B330 module, which is under development as part of the Bigelow Commercial Space Station. As with the B330 module, the number in the name refers to the number of cubic meters of space offered by the module when fully expanded in space (equivalent to 74,000 cubic feet). The mass of the BA 2100 could be as low as , but would more likely be "in the range of 100 metric tons". It is substantially larger than the B330, with the docking ends of the module alone estimated at approximately in diameter. The concept model showed the docking ports at both ends. The BA 2100 would require the use of a super heavy-lift launch vehicle and would require an fairing for launch. Pressurized volume of single BA 2100 module is , compared to volume of the whole International Space Station . See also * TransHab * Genesis I * Genesis II ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Life Support System
A life-support system is the combination of equipment that allows survival in an environment or situation that would not support that life in its absence. It is generally applied to systems supporting human life in situations where the outside environment is hostile, such as outer space or underwater, or medical situations where the health of the person is compromised to the extent that the risk of death would be high without the function of the equipment. In human spaceflight, a life-support system is a group of devices that allow a human being to survive in outer space. US government space agency NASA, and private spaceflight companies use the term environmental control and life-support system or the acronym ECLSS when describing these systems. The life-support system may supply air, water and food. It must also maintain the correct body temperature, an acceptable pressure on the body and deal with the body's waste products. Shielding against harmful external influences suc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Photovoltaic Array
A photovoltaic system, also PV system or solar power system, is an electric power system designed to supply usable solar power by means of photovoltaics. It consists of an arrangement of several components, including solar panels to absorb and convert sunlight into electricity, a solar inverter to convert the output from direct to alternating current, as well as mounting, cabling, and other electrical accessories to set up a working system. It may also use a solar tracking system to improve the system's overall performance and include an integrated battery. PV systems convert light directly into electricity, and are not to be confused with other solar technologies, such as concentrated solar power or solar thermal, used for heating and cooling. A solar array only encompasses the ensemble of solar panels, the visible part of the PV system, and does not include all the other hardware, often summarized as balance of system (BOS). PV systems range from small, rooftop-mounted or ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Attitude Dynamics And Control
Attitude control is the process of controlling the orientation of an aerospace vehicle with respect to an inertial frame of reference or another entity such as the celestial sphere, certain fields, and nearby objects, etc. Controlling vehicle attitude requires sensors to measure vehicle orientation, actuators to apply the torques needed to orient the vehicle to a desired attitude, and algorithms to command the actuators based on (1) sensor measurements of the current attitude and (2) specification of a desired attitude. The integrated field that studies the combination of sensors, actuators and algorithms is called guidance, navigation and control (GNC). Aircraft attitude control An aircraft's attitude is stabilized in three directions: '' yaw'', nose left or right about an axis running up and down; ''pitch'', nose up or down about an axis running from wing to wing; and ''roll'', rotation about an axis running from nose to tail. Elevators (moving flaps on the horizontal tai ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Avionics
Avionics (a blend word, blend of ''aviation'' and ''electronics'') are the Electronics, electronic systems used on aircraft. Avionic systems include communications, Air navigation, navigation, the display and management of multiple systems, and the hundreds of systems that are fitted to aircraft to perform individual functions. These can be as simple as a searchlight for a police helicopter or as complicated as the tactical system for an airborne early warning platform. History The term "avionics" was coined in 1949 by Philip J. Klass, senior editor at ''Aviation Week & Space Technology'' magazine as a portmanteau of "aviation electronics". Radio communication was first used in aircraft just prior to World War I. The first Airborne radio relay, airborne radios were in zeppelins, but the military sparked development of light radio sets that could be carried by heavier-than-air craft, so that aerial reconnaissance biplanes could report their observations immediately in case ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
BA 330
The B330 (previously known as the Nautilus space complex module and BA 330) was an inflatable space habitat being privately developed by Bigelow Aerospace from 2010 until 2020. The design was evolved from NASA's TransHab habitat concept. B330 will have of internal volume, hence its numeric designation. The craft is intended to support zero-gravity research including scientific missions and manufacturing processes. Beyond its industrial and scientific purposes, however, it has potential as a destination for space tourism and a craft for missions destined for the Moon and Mars. Several test articles were built and tested in various conditions in ground test facilities, but no flight versions were built. Features Compared to their volume-mass ratio, expandable modules offer more living space than traditional rigid modules. For example, the pressurised volume of a B330 module is , compared to of the 15-tonne ISS Destiny module. Thus B330 offers 210% more habitable space, wit ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territories, nine Minor Outlying Islands, and 326 Indian reservations. The United States is also in free association with three Pacific Island sovereign states: the Federated States of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau. It is the world's third-largest country by both land and total area. It shares land borders with Canada to its north and with Mexico to its south and has maritime borders with the Bahamas, Cuba, Russia, and other nations. With a population of over 333 million, it is the most populous country in the Americas and the third most populous in the world. The national capital of the United States is Washington, D.C. and its most populous city and principal financial center is New York City. Paleo-Americ ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Genesis II (space Habitat)
''Genesis II'' is the second experimental space habitat designed and built by the private American firm Bigelow Aerospace, launched in 2007. As the second module sent into orbit by the company, this spacecraft builds on the data and experience gleaned from its previously orbited sister-ship ''Genesis I''. Like its sister-ship and other modules being designed by Bigelow Aerospace, this spacecraft is based on the NASA TransHab design, which provides increased interior volume and reduced launch diameter along with potentially reduced mass compared to traditional rigid structures. ''Genesis II'' was "retired" when its avionics systems stopped working after two and a half years, thus becoming a derelict spacecraft. , the spacecraft remains in orbit. Spacecraft history Similar to the process endured by Bigelow for ''Genesis I'', transporting ''Genesis II'' to Russia for launch was the end result of nearly a year of regulatory processes due to restrictions imposed by Internation ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Genesis I
''Genesis I'' is an experimental space habitat designed and built by the private American firm Bigelow Aerospace and launched in 2006. It was the first module to be sent into orbit by the company, and tested various systems, materials and techniques related to determining the viability of long-term inflatable space structures through 2008. Such structures, including this module and others built by Bigelow Aerospace, were similar to the 1990s NASA expandable TransHab design, which aimed to provide increased interior volume at a reduced launch diameter and potentially reduced mass compared to traditional rigid structures. The on-board systems transmitted data for 2.5 years. The spacecraft remains in orbit, allowing researchers to continue to monitor the long-term viability of its expandable space structure. Spacecraft history ''Genesis I'' was launched on 12 July 2006 at 14:53:36 UTC aboard an ISC Kosmotras Dnepr launch vehicle, launched from Dombarovsky missile base near ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
