DocM Posted March 29, 2011 Share Posted March 29, 2011 I covered this in the Bigelow update, but with NASA Administrator Charles Bolden's comments in Aviation Week about wanting a heavy lift rocket that could evolve up to orbiting 130 metric tons (Satrn V was up to 120 metric tons) this needs to be easier to find. NAUTILUS-X would be a large, exploration-class spaceSHIP that would be built in 2 versions- for CIS-Lunar space - the moon, near-Earth asteroids etc. for deep space - Mars & its moons, the main asteroid belt (Ceres etc.) and beyond The basic structure would be a longitudinal truss system, to which other mission modles would be attached. A standard feature eould be robotic arm(s), similar to those on the shuttle and ISS. The power modules could be swapped out based on the mission: chemical, nuclear thermal, the VASIMR plasma rocket etc. Power would be solar, with the option of nuclear augmentation if a nuclear-electric driven VASIMR were used. The habitats would use Bigelow Aerospace's expandable module tech for theif high habitable volume/mass, high impact resistance and resistance to radiation. The hexagonal command structure would also include air locks, docking ports for the NASA Orion and commercial spacecraft like Dragon. Also attached to the truss would be what best can be described as pod bays for exploration pods, landers or whatever small vehicle is needed. A new feature would be -tada- artificial gravity by way of a toroidal centrifuge about 12 meters in diameter, very similar to that depicted in 2001's Discovery spacecraft. This would be tested at ISS. To counter the torque effects a counter-rotating mass (smaller diameter, but rotating faster) would be mounted just ahead of it. Vacuum sealing by way of ferrofluidic seals. Pics: CIS-Lunar Deep space Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zJ__F7ktvo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neo003 Posted March 29, 2011 Share Posted March 29, 2011 :unsure: What if you want to move furniture from one pod to another. :unsure: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted March 29, 2011 Author Share Posted March 29, 2011 The habs, deck, centrifuge etc. would all be connected by way of a system of berthing hubs. Connections would be by way of the same berthing interface used on the ISS, cargo Dragon, the European & Japanese cargo carriers etc. Bigelow has already designed the basic hubs for their commercial space complexes, and a 180,000+ sq/ft factory opens late this year in Las Vegas to produce the habitats, the hubs, their propulsion systems and for integrating their life support and other systems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neoadorable Posted March 29, 2011 Share Posted March 29, 2011 always cool to read about this one, but it's too small for Mars travel, i'd go nuts in something this tight. For Mars the ship should be bigger. i'm not picky though, if this is what we have to make do with, so be it. the sooner the better. for the Moon this is more than fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaun N. Posted March 29, 2011 Share Posted March 29, 2011 MOAR CAPS! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted March 29, 2011 Author Share Posted March 29, 2011 neo- See those habs? 180 cubic meters each, and the typical spacecraft post-shuttle has just 10 cubic meters. That deep space ship would have at least 2x the living volume of the ISS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neoadorable Posted March 29, 2011 Share Posted March 29, 2011 hmmm yes i forgot about the pressurized non-grav modules...still, i think we need bigger. this needs more size. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted March 29, 2011 Author Share Posted March 29, 2011 Maybe I can clarify by converting the total volume to cuboc feet? 63,566.cu/ft for a crew of 6. That gives each crewmember a volume nearly 22 feet on each side - considerably larger than most suburban houses. I.could live with that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neoadorable Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 i'm sure the actual missions will end up carrying more than six people, plus you're not accounting for gear. still, that's reasonably spacious. what are they going to do for sanitation? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted March 31, 2011 Author Share Posted March 31, 2011 Urine can be recycled into potable water. Solid human waste can also be processed & the water extracted, and the remains of each can be used for hydroponic galrdening after sterilization. Bigelow's habs can also process some waste water into thruster fuel. Tested techs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleNeutrino Veteran Posted March 31, 2011 Veteran Share Posted March 31, 2011 although all of this would be amazing even if they were to build any of this it would take decades before they would be ready to test let alone build anything and by then the technology would have changed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahhell Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 It looks awesome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gdodson Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 LOL at "Decent Vehicle Hangar." It's good enough I guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crisp Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 Why not build one giant space craft which would house people? Could build it on the Moon to help get it up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted March 31, 2011 Author Share Posted March 31, 2011 Bigelow has a patent on a lunar base that would be built at EML-1 (gravitational equilibrium point between Earth & Moon) thet can be landed on a bodies surface. Capacity: 6 per module/4 modules. In space Bigelow complexes could house 50+. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neoadorable Posted April 1, 2011 Share Posted April 1, 2011 Doc, i mean the actual plumbing...what do they do for flushing toilets and the like? neutrino - decades? five bill dollars and this thing can be up and flying in a couple of years. right Doc? we spent more on the Libya operation, to put things in perspective. EDIT: not that the people of Libya didn't need help, but just to show the fact it's all funding. that's the only bottleneck at this point. when we have ships that can travel at lightspeed, then yes, that's when reality becomes the bottleneck. until then it's all us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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