Bigelow patent

Blurrt wrote:
"Allen Thomson" wrote in message
oups.com...

US Patent 06962310

Note the stuff about stealth.


Now thats interesting. Bigelow is obviously trying to market the platform as
a servicable military spy center using radar etc that penetrates the hull.


Nah, says Bigelow:

http://www.newscientistspace.com/art...atellites.html

Inflatable shells could create stealth satellites
16:53 10 August 2006
NewScientist.com news service
David Shiga

[Stealth and military applications from the patent snipped]

These characteristics seem to have been chosen to attract interest and
development funds from the US military, says Dan King, a former US air
force engineer who now heads King Space Research in Albuquerque, New
Mexico, US.

"This hits on two of the buzz areas that I know DARPA and the
Department of Defense have been looking at," he says. "The DoD has
talked about modular satellites, where you can go in and do
maintenance." Instead of sending up a new satellite, an old one could
be refurbished to improve its capabilities. The US military has also
expressed an interest in ways to hide satellites from enemies, he says.

"It's intriguing but it hasn't proven out yet," he says of the
satellite shell idea. "I could give you tons of projects where people
spent millions or billions of dollars but it never went anywhere."

Eric Haakonstad, who manages Bigelow Aerospace's Genesis programme,
says the company is not pursuing military applications, despite the
patent's mention of stealth technology. "That's not an avenue we're
exploring," he says. "All were doing is sticking satellite
communications into a module that has life support. That's essentially
all the International Space Station is."

A satellite with life support would allow humans to enter without a
spacesuit and do repairs, he says. Whether this would be cheaper than
simply sending up a replacement satellite would depend on how expensive
the satellite's equipment is, he adds.

On 13 Aug 2006 11:09:05 -0700, in a place far, far away, "Allen
Thomson" made the phosphor on my monitor glow in
such a way as to indicate that:


A satellite with life support would allow humans to enter without a
spacesuit and do repairs, he says. Whether this would be cheaper than
simply sending up a replacement satellite would depend on how expensive
the satellite's equipment is, he adds.

Not to mention how expensive human transport to the satellite is...

Rand Simberg wrote:
On 13 Aug 2006 11:09:05 -0700, in a place far, far away, "Allen
Thomson" made the phosphor on my monitor glow in
such a way as to indicate that:


A satellite with life support would allow humans to enter without a
spacesuit and do repairs, he says. Whether this would be cheaper than
simply sending up a replacement satellite would depend on how expensive
the satellite's equipment is, he adds.

Not to mention how expensive human transport to the satellite is...

Isn't a better solution to the problem telepresense anyway? Which will
be cheaper and developed fastest. I know where my money would be.

On 14 Aug 2006 03:42:32 -0700, in a place far, far away,
made the phosphor on my monitor glow in such a
way as to indicate that:

A satellite with life support would allow humans to enter without a
spacesuit and do repairs, he says. Whether this would be cheaper than
simply sending up a replacement satellite would depend on how expensive
the satellite's equipment is, he adds.

Not to mention how expensive human transport to the satellite is...

Isn't a better solution to the problem telepresense anyway?

No, not necessarily.

Which will
be cheaper and developed fastest. I know where my money would be.

Yes, we know where your money would be. The smart money might be
elsewhere.

In article . com,
wrote:
spacesuit and do repairs, he says. Whether this would be cheaper than
simply sending up a replacement satellite would depend on how expensive
the satellite's equipment is, he adds.

Isn't a better solution to the problem telepresense anyway? Which will
be cheaper and developed fastest...

Bear in mind that people have been saying that for a *long* time, and
actual progress has been rather slow.
--
spsystems.net is temporarily off the air; | Henry Spencer
mail to henry at zoo.utoronto.ca instead. |

"Allen Thomson" wrote:

A satellite with life support would allow humans to enter without a
spacesuit and do repairs, he says. Whether this would be cheaper than
simply sending up a replacement satellite would depend on how expensive
the satellite's equipment is, he adds.

I wonder how much underway maintenance Bigelow or his engineers have
actually performed? It's all easy at the drawing board.

D.
--
Touch-twice life. Eat. Drink. Laugh.

-Resolved: To be more temperate in my postings.
Oct 5th, 2004 JDL

Allen Thomson wrote:
US Patent 06962310

Note the stuff about stealth.

Well, there is the reference to the infamous '238 Eldridge patent; I
wonder how much of this is typical patent lawyer "claim everything and
see what they give you" behavior.

I also believe, but am not certain, that if you are contracting to the
federal government, they can give you the right to use someone else's
patent if they feel like it. Which would make patents on stealthy
satellites less useful than one might imagine.

-jake