4 ms·
Well, it is a prototype. Hopefully if this works well we'll see full-sized modules soon. It's the obvious way to get large amounts of living space into a small
by david-given 11y ago
Well, it is a prototype. Hopefully if this works well we'll see full-sized modules soon. It's the obvious way to get large amounts of living space into a small spacecraft payload bay.
The article says that Genesis 1 and Genesis 2 are still operational; but the wikipedia pages for them contradict this. It looks like they've both suffered avionics failure and are just dead carcasses. (As expected. They both lasted well beyond their design lifetime.) It says they're going to decay and reorbit within a decade, but I'm a bit surprised they didn't have deorbit systems.
Incidentally, if you web search for "genesis 1" you get some really non-spacecraft-related results...
- jakub_h 11y agoLikewise, the square-cube law could mean that the smaller versions are necessarily less impressive with repect to what you can squeeze into the uninflated volume of the module.
- Retric 11y agoI think the problem with inflatables is you want a lot of stuff in the walls for heating and cooling etc. Plus, the ability to close a door in the event of a leak, fire ect and lower the pressure is huge from a safety standpoint. PS: Also, if you willing to have seams you could build very large ridged structures, just ship walls vs completed modules.