Artist rendering of a SpaceX Dragon on approach to a Bigelow space station.
Image: Bigelow Aerospace
and measure 14.43 feet long by 8.33 ft. in diameter at the ISS, the crew will remove the BEAM habitat from
which results in 11.5 cubic meters of useable volume the Dragon’s trunk and dock it to the aft port of Node
inside. Before being expanded, the diameter of the 3. After successful docking the crew will initiate the
spacecraft is just 4.24 feet in diameter which saves a lot deployment sequence and Beam will expand to 13 feet
long by 10.5 feet in diameter.
of volume in the launch vehicle
Once fully deployed, one of
payload faring.
the crew will enter the BEAM,
The vehicles orbit the earth
becoming the first astronaut to
every 96 minutes, 350 miles up,
enter an inflatable habitat.
travelling at nearly 17,000 MPH.
During the two-year test
You can track Genesis I at www.
period, ISS crew members,
satview.org/?sat_id=29252U
Mission Controllers on the
and Genesis II at www.satview.
ground,
and
instruments
org/?sat_id=31789U.
embedded in the module will
On January 16, 2013, with the
monitor BEAM’s performance.
Genesis test articles continuing
Data recorded will include
to prove the technology and
its structural integrity and
reliability of Bigelow’s designs,
leak rate, radiation levels,
NASA
awarded
a
$17.8
and temperature changes
million contract to Bigelow
compared with traditional
Aerospace to provide a
aluminum modules.
Bigelow Expandable Activity
Module (BEAM) for a two-year
Due to the lack of a metal
skin, the Bigelow habitats
technology demonstration.
should actually provide better
BEAM is scheduled to launch
radiation shielding than the ISS
aboard a Falcon 9 rocket in
modules currently in use.
the unpressurized cargo area
Following BEAM will be the
(referred to as the trunk) of the
Bigelow Aerospace founder Robert Bige