Low Earth Orbit Test Mission Scenario
This is a test mission of the Soyuz-Inflatable vehicle to be used in a later lunar fly-by mission.
It will also provide near-term revenue and credible experience for further missions.
This mission will use space qualified hardware refined over the past 30 years.
The Soyuz spacecraft and SL4 rocket have been accident free for over 10 years.
An inflatable structure, manufactured by an American aerospace company in Houston, is attached to the forward docking port of the Soyuz. It will be constructed of similar lightweight but strong multi-layer Kevlar fabric material used in extra-vehicular activity space suits. It will have multi-layers for additional safety.
The astronauts will perform initial tests in pressurized space suits.
Launch will take place from the Baikonur Cosmodrome and will be controlled from the Russian control center, with real-time video data links provided for customer needs by joint US and Russian communications assets.
Mission duration will depend partly on customer demands (7-10 days) and will include a diverse group of scientific, advertising, and entertainment interests.
It will be an international crew of three.
The ultimate goal of this mission is to prove the feasibility of using light weight, low cost inflatable habitats for future Lunar and Mars missions.
Cost of the mission will be approximately $45 million, which includes the total package of launch vehicle, spacecraft, inflatable structure, mission control and crew training.
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