Inflation

From: phoebos@... [mailto:phoebos@...]

What do you guys think about the inflatable satellites that the navy is
considering? If a material could be developed that would meet all the
requirements for strength, durability, patchability, and insulation, a
rather large area could be supplied with minimal payload capacity.

When the design for ISS was coming together, there was a proposal called
Transhab, which would have been a module providing some additional cubic
volume by inflation to a diameter bigger than what the Shuttle could
otherwise accommodate. Unfortunately, Congress felt that if it was all that
advantageous, private industry should fund it for profit. Nobody did, and
so the concept died.

Mars exploration advocates were particularly upset, as they felt Transhab
could have come into use there.

Of course, you could add all types of little gizmos that are necessary (a
CELSS unit for one), an airlock, and maybe someone could dream up a system
to give it a little spin for artificial gravity.

Not out of the question. Some might scoff at the idea of spinning such a
structure for gravity, but upon inflation in a vacuum, such a structure
would become quite stiff.

Regards,

Mike Combs

From:
phoebos@... [mailto:phoebos@...]
What do you guys think about the inflatable satellites that the navy is considering? If a material could be developed that would meet all the requirements for strength, durability, patchability, and insulation, a rather large area could be supplied with minimal payload capacity.

When the design for ISS was coming together, there was a proposal called Transhab, which would have been a module providing some additional cubic volume by inflation to a diameter bigger than what the Shuttle could otherwise accommodate. Unfortunately, Congress felt that if it was all that advantageous, private industry should fund it for profit. Nobody did, and so the concept died.

Mars exploration advocates were particularly upset, as they felt Transhab could have come into use there.

Of course, you could add all types of little gizmos that are necessary (a CELSS unit for one), an airlock, and maybe someone could dream up a system to give it a little spin for artificial gravity.

Not out of the question. Some might scoff at the idea of spinning such a structure for gravity, but upon inflation in a vacuum, such a structure would become quite stiff.

Regards,
Mike Combs