Posted on 09/23/2006 6:12:54 PM PDT by KevinDavis
LAS VEGAS, NV, September 21, 2006 - Lockheed Martin has entered into an agreement with Bigelow Aerospace to pursue the potential of launching passengers on human-qualified Atlas V rockets. The destination would be a Bigelow-built space complex assembled from expandable modules. Bigelow's first launch of a prototype expandable module, Genesis I, took place on July 12th atop a Dnepr rocket from Russia.
Bigelow Aerospace, located in Las Vegas, NV, plans to provide a low-cost, low-Earth orbit (LEO) human-qualified space complex that is accessible to the private sector for commercial activities. The Bigelow architecture can be adapted for a variety of missions. The Bigelow platform is being designed to provide increased volume, enhanced safety, and reduce costs to the extent that space-based activities will become affordable for entrepreneurs, small businesses, and the public at large.
(Excerpt) Read more at bigelowaerospace.com ...
Very cool.
Looks good to me.
Atlas will talk to anybody, even RightWhale. In this way they kept the Atlas alive for the many years between the end of the manned Atlas/Mercury program and the revival of the Atlas in its modern form. It's really a great idea, an inflatable booster rocket, perfect match for a Bigelow inflatable hotel.
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