Genesis-1

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Genesis-1, is the first experimental space habitat designed and built by the private American firm Bigelow Aerospace as the first of six to ten test spacecraft. Genesis-1 was 15 feet (4.4 meters) long and 4 feet (1.3 meters) in diameter at launch, but was inflated to twice the diameter when it attained orbit, with a final volume of 426 cubic feet (11.5 cubic meters).^[1] It was launched aboard a ISC Kosmotras Dnepr launch vehicle, on 12 July 2006.^[2] Genesis-1 is a reduced-scale prototype for a future private-owned space station.

The craft contained many small items such as toys and simple experiments chosen by company employees that would be observed via camera,^[3] - these items included insects, perhaps making it the first private flight to launch animals into space. Bigelow's website includes images off the interior of the module showing a box of Mexican jumping beans - seeds containing live larva of the moth, Carpocapsa saltitans.[1]

1 Genesis-2
2 Genesis-3
3 See also
4 References
5 Notes
6 External links

[edit] Genesis-2

A second craft, Genesis-2, is scheduled for launch on Jan. 30 2007. The public will be able to provide photos, and other small mementos to be carried aboard the craft for a fee of $295 US (Genesis-1 also carries such items, but these were supplied by Bigelow employees).^[4]

[edit] Genesis-3

A third craft, Sundancer, is planned for launch in late 2009 or early 2010. It will be a human-rated habitat with 180 cubic meters of habitable space.