"Your picture here!" That's the word from Robert Bigelow, who's just filled me in on the launch of his program to involve the public in his commercial space station program.On June 16, he'll use a Russian Dnepr rocket to launch a 1/3-scale Genesis model of his planned commercial orbital space station. That much has been public for a while. What I didn't learn until just now is what will be on that module.
Freefloating inside will be 1,000 photocards and small personal objects contributed by Bigelow employees. If all goes well, those items will be continuously blown throughout the pressurized module in a kind of space collage. Six onboard cameras will stream video to Bigelow's new website, which will launch tomorrow or Friday. Seven external cameras will provide views of the Earth from space and the outside of the module.
If that doesn't get even the most disinterested member of the public at least intrigued about the possibilities of space travel, I don't know what will.
But it gets better. Subject to a successful launch of the first module, Bigelow will launch a second Genesis module in September, and that one will contain photos and other small items contributed by anyone who cares to pony up $295.
Think of it. For the next five years, while Genesis hurtles through its 550-kilometer-high orbit, you could fire up your Web browser, click the appropriate link, and watch the ultimate psychedelic space show--hundreds of photos, golf balls, belt buckles, rings, medals, you name it, twirling and spinning in zero gravity, and every once in a while, your smiling mug, or your daughter's, or your husband's, will peek out of the milieu for all the world to see. Hell, make it your screensaver. Or project it on a wall for a party. All for the price of an iPod, which if you bought now would just be an expensive paperweight in five years anyhow.
Phase one of the new website, outlining this program, launches by week's end. Keep an eye on it for details on how to make reservations. Also look for photos of Bigelow's just-completed mission control center in Las Vegas.
"We've been busy," said Bigelow with his characteristic flair for dramatic understatement when I expressed my astonishment at his recent activity. And how.
Bigelow wants me to give him feedback on his new Web site after it launches. Let me know what you think of it, either here or via the email address on my website, and I'll pass it on.
15 comments:
The new Bigelow web site has already been up for at least an hour (it's now Wednesday 10 pm), so they are ahead of schedule again! I checked out everything on their new website, it rocks, I love it! The Life or Death section is a little freaky. The thought of poor little critters struggling or dying up there or on reentry makes me very sad. I know that is not a logical thought given that I eat meat, occasionally kill bugs on purpose, use products tested on animals, etc, but like most humans I'm not always logical.
Hmm,
Didn't get much when I looked. May have to readjust my browser...
I hope they get launched, I hope the Russians don't screw up again...
J. Lomas
Great to see that the project is moving forward so confidently. I'd definitely be interested in the "Fly your stuff" program, got a collaboration in mind with an artist friend of mine...
The "Life or Death" thing *is* freaky, and potentially badly misjudged. For any subjects more advanced than insects, it would be a really good way to get *REALLY BAD* PR. The days when you could launch a dog or a chimp on a one-way trip as an engineering test are long past.
I'm thinking even insects might get really freaked out by microgravity - not to mention launch - unless they were launched in some kind of egg phase of their lives. At least you might be able to launch a bunch of the same gender (even as eggs?) with a pretty short natural life span. The Bigelow marketing dept. probably came up with the living systems concept and low key announcement as way of maybe getting more media attention or generating word of mouth buzz.
I'm not sure where these people are getting the idea that Bigelow is planning to put living plants, insects, animals, etc. onto the spacecraft. Here's all it says under "Life and Death":
"Aboard Genesis I:
Everyday Survival
We anticipate being able to display images of living systems flown aboard Bigelow Aeropspace spacecraft. Unique images of the living systems aboard the ship, as well as images of the ship as it circles the earth, should be available and frequently updated."
It seems to me that this isn't referring to placing living species into the craft. (Although if it's going to eventually be used for people, I'd prefer a plant, mosquito, or cat go first.) Instead, the 'living systems', I think, are the inanimate machines and computer systems that are responsible for keeping the craft as maintenance-free and stable as possible so that the eventual hotel, etc. can be run with minimal crew and accomodate the average tourist. Please note that in the description it contrasts 'living systems' with the reference to the exterior shots of the craft actually flying in space: interior view vs exterior view.
-TNF
"Bigelow to launch space fans to orbit, this year"
Oh come on, the headline is stupid misleading hype.
"The days when you could launch a dog or a chimp on a one-way trip as an engineering test are long past."
Thank god.
the 'living systems', I think, are the inanimate machines and computer systems that are responsible for keeping the craft as maintenance-free and stable as possible
I know we all tend to anthropomorphise our computers ;) but calling the mechanical/electronic subsystems aboard the station "living systems" is really a bit of a stretch :-p
Having thought about this a bit more, what I reckon it is, is some kind of multi-million-dollar orbiting "bottle garden". It has a certain amount of geek appeal (hey, I had a bottle garden as a kid), it provides interesting imagery watching zero-g plant growth over time, and it also provides useful data for life-support monitoring systems (ppO2, ppCO2, trace gases, humidity etc).
If I were in Marketing, I'd spin this as an "orbiting greenhouse lab", and hint at links to closed-cycle lifesupport and long-term spaceflight. The "Life & Death" schtick is just dumb.
Oh, btw, the roving "Moon Cruiser" on the front page with rockets thrusting in three different directions at once made me LOL ;)
The site is really professional, except for the moving graphic on the front page, which is over-busy and gimmicky. If he simply removed the graphic on the first page, the site would be great. This would also give space on the front page to explain what each option is. For instance, it's difficult to orient yourself toward the meaning of each menu option (Multiverse, etc.) without a little explanation, as is given on the right menu bar.
I especially liked the pictures of mission control in Las Vegas. Those should be more prominently displayed -- it was tough finding them a second time.
Along those lines, are we going to have a live feed of mission control as well as the pictures of space?
Lastly, I would love to see pictures of the actual modules.
Thanks for passing these thoughts along to Bigelow!
Dan Schmelzer
Concerning all the thrusters going off at once on the home page:
Hey, you've got to stabalize the thing, right?
Are the staff posing in front of Genesis 1 in the top picture of this
page ?
I'm very interested in the "fly your stuff" offer. But could you ask them to put some information on there web page about the payment methods that will be offered?
"Living Systems" probably refers to the systems required to effect a space for living organisms. I.E. O2 generators, lights, and CO2 scrubbers, among other things.
The first question in the Questionnaire ("By Your Command") sounds to me like they are *NOT* talking about instrumentations or various life support equipment. Watching "life and death" situations of various lifeforms for purpose of entertainment is totally going to get the company in trouble with PETA and maybe even the public. We've become more enlightened since the days of Leika.
Frankly I'd like to see more focus on scientific or engineering experiments - I bet lots of them could be visually stimulating and entertaining as well as helping to advance space technologies.
Still, I admire the gusto with which the company forges on...
What Bigelow is attempting...and I do mean attempting to fly on his first Genesis 'pathfinder' flight which has recently been delayed...is Mexican jumping beans and cockroaches (which are now probably all dead)...and not to mention the first two hours after launch the Genesis module is not pressurized including his 'payloads'...i.e. "living systems"...Mexican jumping beans and cockroaches will for sure be dead after being exposed to a space vacuum before inflation of the Genesis module. And before you ask...his payloads are not in a pressurized vessel/container of any kind. What is so interesting at looking at dead much less live cockroaches and Mexican jumping beans on 'video'. BORING !
I heard they fired somebody 2 days before his 5th year so they wouldn't have to give him 3 weeks vacation.
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