Bigelow Aerospace's Inflatable Space Station Idea (Photos)

Artist’s conception of the private-sector supplied Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM) to be launched around the summer of 2015.

New addition to the International Space Station, the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM) attached to Node 3 of the orbital complex.

NASA officials view the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module at Bigelow’s facility in Las Vegas in March. The module is scheduled for launch to the ISS in early 2016.

This image shows how Bigelow Aerospace’s Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM) will look after its arrival at the International Space Station in 2015.

This early concept art shows a lunar base as envisioned by Bigelow Aerospace, which builds expandable space habitats.

A mockup of Bigelow Aerospace’s inflatable BEAM module is seen at the company’s Las Vegas headquarters. BEAM, or the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module, will be delivered to the International Space Station in 2015.

Representatives with Bigelow Aerospace plan to build bases on the moon.

Representatives with Bigelow Aerospace plan to build bases on the moon.

Representatives with Bigelow Aerospace plan to build bases on the moon.

Representatives with Bigelow Aerospace plan to build bases on the moon.

Representatives with Bigelow Aerospace plan to build bases on the moon.

Representatives with Bigelow Aerospace plan to build bases on the moon.

Representatives with Bigelow Aerospace plan to build bases on the moon.

Representatives with Bigelow Aerospace plan to build bases on the moon.

An artist’s illustration of a Bigelow Aerospace BA 330 inflatable module with Mars in the background. The BA 330 module is expected to be designed to form part of a multi-module space station, or serve as an independent orbiting outpost.

A view from inside Bigelow Aerospace’s full-scale model of a BA 330 commercial space habitat. The module has a 22-foot-wide interior (6.7 meters) when fully expanded in low-Earth orbit, allowing it to support a crew of six.

Full-scale model of the BA 330 inflatable space habitat, as seen at Bigelow Aerospace’s Las Vegas facilities, Wednesday, April 30, 2014.

Room to grow! Bigelow Aerospace is busy plotting out a series of inflatable structures to be positioned in space.

Bigelow Aerospace President Robert Bigelow talks during a press conference shortly after he and NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver toured the Bigelow Aerospace facilities on Friday, Feb. 4, 2011, in Las Vegas.

Artist’s view of the Bigelow Alpha Station comprised of two BA 330 expandable habitats built by private spaceflight company Bigelow Aerospace.

NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver is given a tour of the Bigelow Aerospace facilities by the company’s President Robert Bigelow back in Feb. 2011, in Las Vegas. NASA has been discussing potential partnership opportunities with Bigelow for its inflatable habitat technologies as part of NASA’s goal to develop innovative technologies to ensure that the U.S. remains competitive in future space endeavors.

NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver talks with Bigelow Aerospace President Robert Bigelow prior to touring their facilities on Feb. 4, 2011 in Las Vegas. NASA has been discussing potential partnership opportunities with Bigelow for its inflatable habitat technologies.

Space entrepreneur Robert Bigelow (left) discusses layout plans of the company’s lunar base with Eric Haakonstad, one of the Bigelow Aerospace lead engineers.

Tucked inside the nose fairing of a Dnepr booster, the Bigelow Aerospace Genesis-1 expandable module. Prototype hardware is a technology test for larger modules and a foothold on advanced habitable structures in space. Photo courtesy: Mike Gold

Bigelow Aerospace’s Genesis 2 spacecraft is a near twin of Genesis 1, seen here in this self-portrait after its July 2006 launch.

The International Space Station has modules a many – with discussions under way to attach a privately built Bigelow Expandable Activity Module, or BEAM for short.

Bigelow Aerospace engineers see an instant moon base by using a cluster of expandable modules that are piloted to the moon’s surface.

Several private spaceflight companies are eyeing the moon as a destination for future space tourists like this one envisioned by entrepreneur Robert Bigelow of Bigelow Aerospace, who has already launched two space station module prototypes into orbit.

Made with walls of reinforced fabric, expandable spacecraft like this model by the private space company Bigelow Aerospace—shown here in one-third scale—may one day house astronauts on the moon.

A picture on the end of one of the aft solar arrays looks toward the midsection of Genesis 2 as well as the forward solar panels.

A 1/30 scale model of a Bigelow Aerospace moon colony is prepared in the conservation department of the American Museum of Natural History in New York.

This layout released by the Las Vegas, Nevada-based Bigelow Aerospace shows the size relations between the firm’s various planned inflatable spacecraft. At top is Genesis 2, a near-identical follow on to the Genesis 1 module, that flew in 2007.

Hang Time in Earth orbit courtesy of Bigelow Aerospace expandable modules. The company unveiled a business plan to populate space with habitable complexes for international space agencies and multinational corporations.

Bigelow Aerospace has planned a series of inflatable structure tests in space. Plan is to evolve testing and hardware to establish the Nautilus outpost in Earth orbit.

Construction is under way at Bigelow Aerospace in North Las Vegas, a building to crank out expandable habitats.

This artist’s illustration depicts a Boeing CST-100 spacecraft approaching a private inflatable space station complex designed by Bigelow Aerospace.

Despite being a feat of engineering and research, the International Space Station’s days are numbered, with some estimates aiming between 2014 to 2020 for its end of operations. But Bigelow Aerospace of Las Vegas, Nev., hopes to build new inflatable space stations like that shown above for commercial uses ranging from tourism to research and other fields.

Bigelow Aerospace Sundancer module is designed to be capable of supporting crews in Earth orbit.

The Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM) is seen during a media briefing where NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver and President and founder of Bigelow Aerospace Robert T. Bigelow announced that BEAM will join the International Space Station to test expandable space habitat technology, Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2013 at Bigelow Aerospace in Las Vegas.

NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver and President and founder of Bigelow Aerospace Robert T. Bigelow talk while standing next to the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM) during a media briefing where is was announced that the BEAM expandable space habitat technology will be tested on the International Space Station, Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2013 in Las Vegas.

NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver and President and founder of Bigelow Aerospace Robert T. Bigelow, announce a planned addition to the International Space Station that will use the orbiting laboratory to test expandable space habitat technology during a press conference held at Bigelow Aerospace on Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2013 in Las Vegas.

NASA has awarded a $17.8 million contract to Bigelow Aerospace to provide a Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM), which is scheduled to arrive at the space station in 2015 for a two-year technology demonstration. Artist’s impression released Jan. 16, 2013.

President and founder of Bigelow Aerospace Robert T. Bigelow, talks during a media briefing where he and NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver discussed their $17.8 million contract to provide a Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM) to the International Space Station to test expandable space habitat technology, Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2013 at Bigelow Aerospace in Las Vegas.

NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver talks during a media briefing where she and President and founder of Bigelow Aerospace Robert T. Bigelow, discussed their $17.8 million contract to provide a Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM) to the International Space Station to test expandable space habitat technology, Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2013 at Bigelow Aerospace in Las Vegas.

NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver talks during a media briefing where she and President and founder of Bigelow Aerospace Robert T. Bigelow, discussed their $17.8 million contract to provide a Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM) to the International Space Station to test expandable space habitat technology, Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2013 at Bigelow Aerospace in Las Vegas.

NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver and President and founder of Bigelow Aerospace Robert T. Bigelow talk while standing next to the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM) during a media briefing where it is was announced that the BEAM expandable space habitat technology will be tested on the International Space Station, Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2013 in Las Vegas.

NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver and President and founder of Bigelow Aerospace Robert T. Bigelow, announce a planned addition to the International Space Station that will use the orbiting laboratory to test expandable space habitat technology during a press conference held at Bigelow Aerospace on Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2013 in Las Vegas.