Genesis I sent back several photos Thursday taken by its dozen cameras showing sections of the craft, according to its builder Bigelow Aerospace. The company declined to publicly release the images.
The experimental spacecraft rocketed into space Wednesday from Russia on a mission to test technology that could be used to build an inflatable commercial space station.
[. . .]
Bigelow, owner of the Budget Suites of America hotel chain, has lofty dreams of building an expandable orbital outpost by 2015 to be made up of several Genesis-like satellites tied together.
He has promised to invest $500 million to build a space habitat that could be used as a space hotel, science lab or sports arena.
I've been following Bigelow's exploits for a long time and this, to my mind, is his most substantial accomplishment. (Anyone remember his interest in alien abductions? Be sure to take a look at Bigelow Aerospace's official emblem, which depicts a Gray.)
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