Re: Bigelow's BA300 as a Martian spaceship?

The cost of $10,000 per pound is the reason anyone interested in
commercial space launch will first build large reusable launchers. In
order to justify the $6 billion or so it takes to build them, you need
a project to justify them. One project is the creation of a global
communications network built around a large constellation of
satellites similar to that envisioned by Teledesic. Such a
constellation would cost around $30 billion to $40 billion to build,
and would retrieve $100 billion per year in primary service
revenues. Another $1,000 billion to $3,000 billion is earned through
financial, banking, and tele-robotic services each year, once that is
built up. A portion of all these revenue streams can be included in
the launch costs and operating costs of the network - giving ample
return to investors who paid for the system and the launchers in the
first place - and providing larger dollars each year for continuing
operations and R&D than all the space agencies of the entire world
combined.

Once the constellation is operational, the revenue stream provides
adequate funding to modify it for space tourism and planetary
development beyond Earth as well as using space resources to develop
Earth.

The Atlas V Phase 3 upgrade can put 20 tons into an escape
trajectory. I have proposed a modular system using a flight article
that places RS-68 engines at the base of an enlarged External Tank. I
have looked at three versions.

1) A single ET with an inline upper stage - 75 tonnes to LEO
2) Three ET forming two stages in parallel - 200 tonnes to LEO
a) Add an inline upper stage - 3 stages - 75 tonnes to Moon/
Mars
3) Seven ET forming three stages in parallel - 550 tonnes to LEO
a) Add an inline upper ET stage - 200 tonnes to Moon/Mars
b) Add an inline stage - 75 tonnes - landing on Moon/Mars
return

The 75 tonne payload to LEO puts up the constellation of satellites
described at the outset. Then, the revenue stream combined with the
spare capacity after the constellation is deployed, is used to develop
upgrades.

A 75 tonne capability - puts a full sized 20 tonne - BE 330 plus a
kick stage - sufficient to land on the moon and return to Earth.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transhab
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nautilus_(space_station_module)

Transhab goes way back to the 1960s - when inflatable habitats were
considered as a mean to reduce the total mass needed for a journey to
Mars or put a base on the moon.

http://www.lunar-reclamation.org/transhab.htm


I've even contributed something to this

http://www.asi.org/adb/02/06/inflatables-study-1.html


Inflating a station in transit, then deflating a station and landing
it - on Earth provides total reusability. Doing the same for the moon
or mars - reinflating it again - on the surface - makes a very
flexible system.

I calculated above that with a 20 ton per launch limit - your
structure and payload must total 14.4 tonnes out of 40 tonnes to land
you on the moon and return you to Earth. 15 tonnes out of 60 tonnes
puts you on the surface of Mars - and returns you to Earth

Alternatively, 20 tonnes out of 75 tonnes puts you on the surface of
mars and returns you to Earth.

My system, starts with the launcher and satellite constellation - and
establishes a means to generate continuing revenue from everyone on
Earth. The funds are then used to adapt the launcher into a piloted
expeditionary vehicle for lunar and martian settlement. Carrying 75
tonnes each time. This lets 30 people go on each trip - and leaves
a low mass station permanently in place as described in that 1990
blurb pointed to above.

.

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