Wow, I can't believe it was 5 years ago the SpaceShip One took out the XPRIZE cup for Commercial Spaceflight - Burt Rutan's mob certainly paved the
way for this emerging industry.
Read here www.xprize.org...
and little bit more of the man who started the initiative
www.huffingtonpost.com...
Peter and team are the true pioneers I think.
I remember emailing Peter a few years before SS1 flew, just congratulating him for his efforts thus far, his replied in kind - which I thought was
really nice and humble of him.
Smal steps I guess, but still very exciting given the new initiatives now out there - offered in other XPRIZE's.
Exciting times.
Thoughts?
Thoughts,
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Yeah, I watched the first and second launches online.. what an amazing time. I hear they will launch the first Virgin Galactic flight next year. I
wonder what ever happened to Bigelow and his inflatable spacecraft, though? Last I saw he had the second proofi of concept up there and it was
working.. no word since.. 
Ok, helps to take a look..lol
Genesis II, the second prototype expandable space habitat launched by Bigelow Aerospace on June 28, 2007, has completed its 10,000th orbit
around the Earth. Following the first spacecraft Genesis I, this unmanned vehicle demonstrates the continued development of future space stations
technologies.
Orbiting 665 days and having traveled close to 270 million miles, Genesis II has been busy transmitting pressure, temperature and radiation data to
the mission operations staff in Las Vegas. We are also conducting long term testing of systems such as lighting, air circulation, and pressure
monitoring systems.
Bigelow Aerospace
[edit on 10-6-2009 by rogerstigers]
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reply to post by rogerstigers
Bigelow does not have a launch vehicle of their own, so whatever use their craft might have, will have to happen far in the future.
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