Bigelow Space company, known for creating inflatable module BEAM, which is 2016, work on the ISS, will provide commercial manufacturing space station which is going to be sold to NASA, other national space agencies and even private companies.
The station and the BEAM module will be inflatable, which will allow to deliver them into orbit using conventional rockets. Once the module is launched, it needs to inflate, after which it will become fully usable.
Selling and finding customers will be engaged in a new division of the company Bigelow Space Operations. The first year of its existence, it dedicates to the research and study of the potential of this new market. Now Bigelow Space working on a new module B330 volume of 330 cubic meters. Despite the fact that it is three times less than the ISS, its use will cost significantly cheaper than a full-fledged space station. Hence, the rent also do not have much “bite”.
In inflatable modules B330 can live, conduct various studies or to build space hotels. The first module of the new type is to launch into orbit by 2021. After the development of a new module is completed, the company will begin to create an inflatable station Olympus, the size of two and a half times higher than the ISS. To design and build it will be at the new plant, which is also is in the early stages of construction.
Bigelow Space Operations will begin to sell the space station
Vyacheslav Larionov