Vacation in Space - sooner than you think

NASA is finally getting the competition it needs to ensure that the exploration & commercialization of space continues.

Bigelow's Second Orbital Module Launches Into Space - Yahoo! News:
"A privately-built space station prototype launched into orbit atop a Dnepr rocket Thursday from a Russian missile base, SPACE.com has learned. The space shot kicks off the second test flight for the U.S. firm Bigelow Aerospace.

Genesis 2, an inflatable module laden with cameras, personal items and a Space Bingo game, rocketed spaceward from a silo at Yasny Launch Base, an active Russian strategic missile base in the country's Orenburg region.

The spacecraft is a near-twin of Bigelow Aerospace's Genesis 1 module, which launched in July 2006 and remains operational today, but carries a series of enhancements and additional cargo, the Las Vegas, Nevada-based spaceflight firm has said. Both spacecraft are prototypes for future commercial orbital complexes that Bigelow Aerospace, and its founder and president Robert Bigelow, hope to offer for use by private firms and national space agencies."

Instead of launching hard structures that resemble earth's buildings, Bigelow uses structures that take advantage of the unique environment in space. They send up a small package and inflate it. This approach may well be the key to building large structures (like hotels) before we have large scale mining & materials production facilities in space.

By using a Russian launch vehicle, they also help keep alive another competitor to our government's space program. Hopefully, they will soon have cost effective commercial choices for launch services.