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Rich Curtis – Project Director
The Big Space Balloon is an idea I’ve been working on for a couple of years, I’m part of the generation
that grew up during the Apollo missions with the mighty Saturn V rockets, Skylab, Soyuz and then the
Space Shuttle, so I’ve had a life long interest in space and space technology.
My background is in construction design for the housing market so I’m used to working on large building sized projects, I’ve combined these interests in the Big Space Balloon project.
My reason for choosing a balloon are several really; a big stratospheric balloon allows you to lift a reasonably substantial payload of up to several tonnes into a space environment.
•
Balloons also allow you to put relatively large payloads into a space environment at a lower costs
compared to a rocket, which can easily run into 100’s of £millions per launch.
• Balloon payloads
as 3D printing, to build a substantial
be involved in the project
can also be launched many
vehicle and to send it on its way to the
directly through the manu-
times allowing modifica-
edge of space and see the images of
facture of the balloon enve-
tions, improvements and
the Big Space Balloon flying above the
lope and the science capsule
upgrades to the on-board
earths atmosphere, against the black-
or the through supplying
equipment with each
ness of space.
scientific equipment, again
launch.
this is in the early stages and
The biggest challenge will be the
It would also be very
fabrication of the balloon envelope
exciting to use some of the
due to its size, I’m in the process of
latest technologies such
t heirs a lot to do.
building partnerships with organisations and companies who could either
ICY SCIENCE | WINTER 2013- 2014