FYI,

"Private Space Module Orbiting in "Tip-top Shape"
IEEE Spectum Magazine
http://spectrum.ieee.org/feb07/comments/1709

: Seven months into its open-ended orbital shakedown cruise, Bigelow
: Aerospace's inflatable test vehicle Genesis-I is performing
: smoothly, a company official has advised IEEE Spectrum. As
: previously reported in this month's issue, the mission was to test
: variations of spacecraft systems for future vehicles leading to
: the development of an inhabitable orbital outpost for a wide range
: of functions, potentially including tourism, in the next decade.

: "We have been monitoring all of the onboard systems many times a
: day," says Jay Ingham, deputy program manager at the Bigelow
: Aerospace plant, in North Las Vegas, Nev. "We have been very
: pleased with both the initial operational success, as well as the
: continued reliability of virtually all of the onboard systems," he
: continued, in a press statement planned for release on
: February 14.

: Placed in a high-inclination orbit by a commercial Russian rocket,
: the module's altitude has slipped 6 miles (to 340 miles) under the
: effects of air drag. "At this point we are predicting that the
: vehicle will maintain its orbit for well over 10 years," Ingham
: stated.

: "Our avionics and communications to and from the vehicle have
: operated very well," wrote Ingham. "We communicate with Genesis I
: several times a day." He added that they planned to do so more
: frequently as the ground sites in Alaska and Hawaii come online.
: Ingham acknowledged occasional "minor issues" but stated that they
: were all "resolved with minor software fixes or adjustments." In
: particular, he continued, "we have had some problems with a
: computer that controlled several of the cameras."

: One externally caused crisis has occurred, he revealed. "There was
: a very severe radiation event caused by solar activity on or about
: the 14th of December," an event that also impacted planned
: spacewalks for the Space Shuttle mission then docked at the
: International Space Station. "We did suffer some minor
: communications problems during and after this period which
: required us to use our backup systems," he disclosed.

: "This problem was remedied with a reset of our primary system," he
: explained. "This was very encouraging to us that we could survive
: such an event and recover from it gracefully."

: Otherwise, the spacecraft's electrical systems are performing
: well, Ingham detailed. "We have seen no measurable degradation of
: the power generating capability of all eight solar arrays," he
: said. "Our battery has not shown any signs of a loss of capacity,
: but from our use and recharge cycles we are currently calculating
: a life span of [more than] seven years." All of the interior
: electrical systems such as the lights and fans, according to
: Ingham, "remain in perfect working condition."

: Genesis-I is now getting a more active than planned workout
: because of the delay in the launch of its sister-spacecraft,
: Genesis-II. Although that vehicle is complete and ready to ship to
: Russia, the launch provider has delayed flight due to a failure of
: a similar booster in another commercial attempt last summer.
: Ingham expects Genesis-I's battery life to be extended beyond
: seven years once the control center's attention is diverted to
: newer vehicles.

: Particularly crucial is the flight validation of the revolutionary
: hull design, which uses flexible, expandable materials rather than
: the traditional "hard shell" of every previous human space
: vehicle. In theory and in ground testing, the thick multi-layered
: hull should be much stronger than thin metallic shells—but the
: design (based on NASA work in the 1990's that was later cancelled)
: had never been exposed to the actual space environment of vacuum,
: thermal cycles, solar radiation, and space debris.

: Ingham reported that the initial results were very good:
: "Structurally, Genesis I is in tip-top shape. From pressure data,
: we can determine that the expandable envelope and pressurized
: structure remains perfectly intact, and from the numerous exterior
: photographs we download daily, we cannot detect any degradation of
: the orbital debris shield or discoloration due to the elevated UV
: exposure we see in space."

: In particular, Genesis-I is holding pressure very well — a
: sensitive issue since the initial pressurization of the spacecraft
: did not go smoothly due to a fabrication oversight on the
: pressurization tank nozzles (not discussed by Ingham, this hiccup
: has been confirmed by Bigelow Aerospace officials). "Our pressure
: levels internal to the vehicle have maintained exceptionally
: well," Ingham announced, "achieving lower leak rates than those
: that we have tested on the ground."

: Ingham described how the interior temperature has varied, but it's
: well within expected bounds—as cold as 40F, as warm as 90F.
: Genesis-I has no active thermal control system—no heaters, no
: coolant loops with external radiators, nothing of that complexity.
: As a result, "The interior air temperature varies with the
: quantity of electronics we have operational at any point in time
: and the amount of sun exposure the vehicle sees." Later vehicles
: will test active temperature control systems.

: The station-wagon-size satellite continues to orbit the Earth,
: visible at dawn and dusk as a fast-moving, dim, starlike dot
: (stellar magnitude 3 or 4—binoculars are advisable). Predicted
: visual passes for any location are available at this site (click
: on "10 day predictions" for Genesis-I). Follow-on vehicles will be
: bigger and brighter, thanks to the encouraging results of this
: groundbreaking (or should I say spacebreaking?) technology
: demonstration.

Mark Reiff