Hotel Tycoon to Test Inflatable Space Station Technology
Jul 12th, 2006 | by Neil Barton | Posted in science, weird news | Comments Off
LOS ANGELES — A hotel tycoon’s dream of building an inflatable commercial space station is taking a step toward reality _ or a reality check _ with the launch of a satellite that will test the technology behind the orbital outpost.
The fact-finding mission scheduled for this week will explore the feasibility of Robert Bigelow’s planned commercial space complex. When finished by 2015, he said, it will consist of balloon-like modules strung together like sausage links and serve as a hotel, laboratory, college or entertainment venue.
The planned liftoff from Russia of Bigelow Aerospace’s privately funded Genesis I spacecraft will mark the beginning of the startup’s attempt to break into the fledging manned commercial spaceflight business.
