A lunar station
Bigelow's company, in conjunction with NASA, launched an experimental expandable module called BEAM to the International Space Station in 2016. So far the BEAM habitat has
performed well in orbit, demonstrating equal or superior radiation shielding than traditional aluminum modules on the station. This bodes well for a company looking to deploy habitats in deep space, beyond the protection of Earth's radiation belts.
With its BEAM experience and data, the company has gained confidence in its next generation of expandable in-space habitats, the B330 module. It is so named because it offers 330 cubic meters of interior space, about one-third the volume of the entire International Space Station. Bigelow said Friday the company has built several different full-scale prototypes of the B330 and is working toward completing four full-scale units for qualification testing.
A lunar gold rush?
Bigelow is not alone in offering the Trump administration options to move astronauts into deep space more quickly. During the last month, NASA
has talked about accelerating the launch of crew on its Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft to as early as 2019. The craft would launch into a long loop around the Moon and back. SpaceX founder Elon Musk
has also said his company could perform a similar mission, as early as 2018, with the Dragon 2 spacecraft and Falcon Heavy rocket. And finally, Jeff Bezos
has been talking to the Trump administration about using Blue Origin vehicles to deliver cargo and eventually crew to the lunar surface.
FURTHER READING
Jeff Bezos says NASA should return to the Moon, and he’s ready to help
The Trump administration has yet to formally decide upon a space policy, and industry experts say NASA and the private companies have been receiving mixed signals. On one hand, it seems clear the Trump administration would like to do something with humans in deep space, soon, and focus on a lunar exploration program. But the administration has not made clear whether it intends to do that solely with government vehicles—the SLS rocket and Orion—or is opening the door to cheaper, commercial alternatives to do at least part of the job.
What does seem clear is that the commercial industry sees an opportunity to put forth its best ideas to see what may come of them. "I'm incredibly enthusiastic about the options that SpaceX and Blue Origin are offering for deep space transportation and the possibilities they offer commercial and government customers," said Eric Stallmer, president of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation. "I think it's a great time in the industry, and we're seeing an eagerness to go beyond the norm of low Earth orbit."
The final decisions will fall to the Trump administration, where Vice President Mike Pence may have an important say. Any decisions are likely to wait until Pence reconstitutes the National Space Council, however. That may not happen until late spring at the earliest, given the many issues now facing the new president.
