— Ch. 1 · Origins And Early Concepts —
Bigelow Commercial Space Station.
~5 min read · Ch. 1 of 6
In 1999, Robert Bigelow founded a company dedicated to expanding human presence beyond Earth. By 2004, the organization had publicly outlined plans for manned space facilities in low Earth orbit. These early concepts included both funded research and space tourism opportunities. The initial vision involved assembling multiple modules into a single orbital structure. Two Nautilus B330 expandable spacecraft modules were proposed alongside a central docking node. Additional components like propulsion systems and solar arrays were also part of the design. Each module was intended to function as an independent station if needed. In mid-2010, Bigelow announced their Next-Generation Commercial Space Station concept. This project later received the name Space Complex Alpha. Earlier iterations included CSS Skywalker, which emerged as a 2005 concept for the first orbiting space hotel. That design featured multiple habitat modules that would inflate upon reaching orbit. An MDPM propulsion module allowed movement toward lunar or interplanetary trajectories. The projected room rate for such accommodations reached one million US dollars per night. A hoped-for launch date for the first Nautilus module was set for 2010.
Commercial Station Architecture
The Bigelow Next-Generation Commercial Space Station utilized modular expandable habitats. Initial configurations for 2014 and 2015 included two Sundancer modules and one B330 module. By October 2010, this arrangement became known as Space Complex Alpha. Early plans shifted in early 2013 to consist of only two B330 modules. Unit One provided 180 cubic meters of pressurized volume without crew occupancy. Unit Two delivered commercial crew capsules with astronauts to establish operations. Supplemental power buses and docking nodes formed Unit Three. Additional Sundancer units expanded capacity further. Second and third crew capsules offered redundant return methods to Earth. The largest B330 module contained 330 cubic meters of habitable space. Future designs explored up to nine B330 modules totaling significant interior volume. Advanced Medical Facility concepts required three propulsion buses and multiple docking ports. Biological Containment Stations operated remotely from low Earth orbit. Deep Space Complexes featured four B330 modules with nine propulsion buses. Lunar Depot Ares aimed to land directly on the moon's surface. Mars Exploration concepts included four B330 modules and three docking ports. Resupply Depot Hercules combined six B330 modules with three BA 2100 modules.