 Rendering of the B330 | |
| Station statistics | |
|---|---|
| Crew | 6[1] |
| Launch | planned: 2021[2] (cancelled) |
| Carrier rocket | Atlas V[3] |
| Mission status | Developmental |
| Mass | 23,000 kg (50,000 lb)[4] |
| Length | 16.88 m (55.4 ft)[5] |
| Diameter | 6.7 m (22.0 ft)[5][a] |
| Pressurized volume | 330 m3 (11,654 cu ft)[5] |
The B330 (previously known as the Nautilus space complex module and BA 330) was an inflatable space habitat privately developed by Bigelow Aerospace from 2010 until 2020.[6] The design was evolved from NASA's TransHab habitat concept. B330 was to have 330 cubic meters (12,000 cu ft) of internal volume, hence its numeric designation.
The craft was intended to support zero-gravity research including scientific missions and manufacturing processes. Beyond its industrial and scientific purposes, however, it had potential as a destination for space tourism and a craft for missions destined for the Moon and Mars.
Several test articles were built and tested in ground test facilities, but no flight versions were built.
- ^ "International Space Development Conference - Bigelow Slideshow" (PDF). Bigelow Aerospace. 24 May 2011. Retrieved 27 May 2011.
- ^ Wall, Mike (20 February 2018). "Bigelow Aerospace Launches New Company to Operate Private Space Stations". Space.com. Retrieved 11 April 2019.
- ^ Wall, Mike (11 April 2016). "Private Space Habitat to Launch in 2020 Under Commercial Spaceflight Deal". Space.com. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
- ^ "B330". Bigelow Space Operations. Archived from the original on 24 February 2021. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
- ^ a b c "B330: A Fully Autonomous Stand-Alone Space Station". Bigelow Aerospace. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
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