SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket

Scheduled to be first launched in mid 2008, is designed to be man-rated. This would be the first American orbital vehicle since the Space Shuttle to receive this designation, in principle allowing the vehicle to transport paying customers to orbit. Plans and a full-scale prototype for the SpaceX Dragon, a manned capsule carrying up to 7 passengers, were announced on March 6, 2006. An early flight of the Falcon 9 is planned to carry the prototype expandable space complex module (based on the formerly NASA-owned Transhab design) constructed by Bigelow Aerospace. Bigelow Aerospace expects such modules to be used for activities like microgravity research, space manufacturing, and space tourism (with modules serving as orbital hotels). To promote private manned launch efforts, Bigelow has offered the $50M America's Space Prize for the first US-based privately funded team to launch a manned reusable spacecraft to orbit on or before

January 10, 2010.
XCOR Aerospace plans to initiate a suborbital commercial spaceflight service with the Lynx rocketplane in 2012. First test flights are planned for 2010.
Excalibur Almaz plans to launch a modernized Almaz space station, for tourism and other uses. It will feature the largest window ever on a spacecraft.

Future plans
Many have speculated on where private spaceflight may go in the near future. One possibility is for paid suborbital tourism on craft like SpaceShipOne. Additionally, suborbital spacecraft have applications for faster intercontinental package delivery and passenger flight.

On-orbit propellant depots
In a presentation given 2005-11-15 to the 52nd Annual Conference of the American Astronautical Society, NASA Administrator Michael D. Griffin suggested that establishing an on-orbit propellant depot is, "Exactly the type of enterprise which should be left to industry and to the marketplace." At the Space Technology and Applications International Forum in 2007, Dallas Bienhoff of Boeing made a presentation detailing the benefits of propellant depots

source: wikipedia

Honors

Bigelow Aerospace has received several honors for its spaceflight efforts. On October 3, 2006, Bigelow Aerospace received the Innovator Award from the Arthur C. Clarke Foundation. The award recognizes "initiatives or new inventions that have had recent impact on or hold particular promise for satellite communications and society, and stand as distinguished examples of innovative thinking." Robert Bigelow was presented the award at the Arthur C. Clarke Awards in Washington D.C. alongside Walter Cronkite, who was honored on the same night with the Arthur C. Clarke Lifetime Achievement Award.

On January 26, 2007, the Space Foundation advocacy group announced that Bigelow Aerospace would be the recipient of its 2007 Space Achievement Award. Bigelow Aerospace joins a list of previous winners that include the Titan Launch Vehicle team; The Inertial Upper Stage team, the SpaceShipOne team; the Arianespace-CNES Ariane 4 launch team; the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) teams; the NASA/Industry Galileo space probe team; the Hubble Space Telescope team; Sea Launch; and the NASA/Boeing International Space Station team. The award was presented to Robert Bigelow on April 9, 2007 at the 23rd National Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Fly your stuff program
Bigelow Aerospace ran a Fly Your Stuff program for the Genesis II launch. The cost to launch pictures or small items was around US$300. Bigelow plans to photograph each item with internal cameras as the items float inside the craft, to be displayed on the company website.
The first image of the interior of Genesis II appeared on the company's website on June 29, 2007. Some of the pictures and other items placed aboard Genesis II as part of the Fly Your Stuff program are clearly visible. Another interior image, apparently taken with more of the spacecraft's internal lights activated, was posted on July 2, 2007. Articles from the Fly Your Stuff program are also visible in this image.
Test items, supplied by Bigelow Aerospace employees, were sent into orbit on Genesis I. No new images of items floating inside Genesis I have been released since shortly after the launch and initial activation of the spacecraft due to problems with a computer which controls several of the internal cameras

Genesis II launch

On June 28, 2007, Genesis II launched on a converted SS-18 ICBM from Yasny Launch Base in Siberia. Launched at 8:02 a.m. PDT Genesis II was inserted into orbit at 8:16 a.m. PDT at an inclination of 64 degrees.

Although Genesis I and Genesis II are identical in size and similar in appearance there are several notable differences. Firstly, Genesis I contains 13 video cameras whereas Genesis II contains 22. Secondly, Genesis II includes a suite of additional sensors and avionics that is not present in Genesis I.

Genesis I Launch

An image from one of the seven exterior cameras on Genesis I.
On July 12, 2006, Genesis I launched on a Dnepr booster from Yasny Launch Base in Siberia. The launch was conducted by Bigelow and ISC Kosmotras. Despite ground-side difficulties during launch, the spacecraft performed as expected upon reaching orbit, inflating, deploying solar arrays and starting internal systems. The mission is planned to last for five years and include extensive observation of the craft's performance including testing packing/deployment procedures and resistance to radiation and space debris, among other space hazards and conditions. Mike Gold, corporate counsel for Bigelow Aerospace, stated in relation to this mission and the next, "Our motto at Bigelow Aerospace is 'fly early and often'. Regardless of the results of Genesis 1, we will launch a follow-up mission rapidly."

Module launch timeline
On July 12, 2006 and June 28, 2007, Bigelow launched the Genesis I and II modules, respectively. In 2008, Bigelow Aerospace will complete the Galaxy module but will not launch it due to rising launch costs, testing it on the ground at its North Las Vegas facility instead.

Additionally, Bigelow has reserved a 2011 launch on the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Bigelow has not yet announced the payload for the launch, but this timeframe roughly coincides with the launch of the Sundancer module. However, the Falcon 9 is also capable of launching the BA 330 module. Bigelow is also in talks with Lockheed Martin to contract launch services on its Atlas V - 401 vehicle.

Note:
Dates of upcoming launches are proposed and are subject to change.

Module Type:
Genesis Pathfinder
Genesis Pathfinder
Galaxy
Sundancer
BA 330

Module Name
Genesis l
Genesis ll
Galaxy
unknown
unknown

Flight Date
July 12, 006 14:53 UTC
June 28, 2007 15:12 UTC
Canceled
2010 2012
2010 2014

Launch Vehicle
Dnepr
Dnepr
none
unknown
unknown

Mission Status
Launch successful on orbit
Launch successful on orbit
Launch canceled, test on ground
Proposed
Proposed

source: wikipedia

Module design and business plans

Model of the proposed BA 330 module.

The company intends to develop a family of prototype and production space station modules, including:

Genesis I

A one-third scale prototype module launched on July 12,2006 weighing approximately 3,000 pounds (1,360 kg), with approximate dimensions of 14.5 feet (4.4 meters) in length and 5.25 feet (1.6 meters) in diameter, expanding to nearly twice the diameter once in orbit;

Genesis II

with the same dimensions as Genesis I but with additional systems to be tested and items being sent up by paying members of the public;

Galaxy

A 45% scale prototype module designed to bridge the development gap between the Genesis modules and the eventual manned complex modules; the first manned test module

Sundancer; and the BA 330

A full-scale production module weighing approximately 50,000 pounds (23,000 kg) when fully loaded, with dimensions of approximately 45 feet (13.7 meters) in length and 22 feet (6.7 meters) in diameter when expanded.

The BA 330

was formerly referred to as the Nautilus. Contrary to many expectations, Bigelow Aerospace anticipates that its inflatable modules will be more durable than rigid modules. This is partially due to the company's use of several layers of vectran, a material twice as strong as kevlar, and also because, in theory, flexible walls should be able to sustain micrometeorite impacts better than rigid walls.

Expected uses for Bigelow Aerospace's expandable modules include microgravity research and development and space manufacturing. Other potential uses include space tourism, such as modules for orbital hotels, and space transportation, such as components in spaceships for Moon or Mars manned missions. The company plans to sell BA 330 modules for US$100 million apiece. Bigelow also plans to launch by 2010 an orbital resort, tentatively called the CSS (Commercial Space Station) Skywalker.

The company though is working for the launch much ahead of 2010.
On April 10, 2007, Bigelow Aerospace announced business plans to offer (by 2012) a four-week orbital stay for US$15 million, with another four weeks for an additional US$3 million. An entire orbital facility could also be leased for US$88 million a year, or half a facility for US$54 million a year