...on Virgin Galactic, the Bigelow space prize, and other topics, over at RLV News, that I missed this weekend as a result of the hurricane. Just keep scrolling.

If this new Bigelow space prize becomes official, doesn't that render CEV development and its first manned flight by 2014 all rather behind the curve?

What if Kliper wins the prize?

If this new Bigelow space prize becomes official, doesn't that render CEV development and its first manned flight by 2014 all rather behind the curve?

Yes. Well, if the prize is successful, anyway.

What if Kliper wins the prize?

Who or what is Kliper?

A Russian version of CEV with a cryogenic upper stage on top of the ancient R-7 booster. Able to carry 5 - 7 people to LEO.

I don't know if that could win the prize. It depends on what the rules are. It wouldn't qualify under Ansari X-Prize rules, which preclude the use of government-developed hardware.

From the article linked at spacetoday:

America's Prize will be set up so the winner can propose launch on an existing (even non-U.S.) booster, depending upon the entrant's spacecraft configuration.

Except for Musk, are there any existing boosters that were not developed with government money?

Bigelow is committing $25 million to the prize, and more than one additional proprietary benefactor is in final discussion with Bigelow for the other half. Potential funding partners include NASA, as a follow-up to the prize-related recommendations by the Aldridge Commission on Exploration.

In addition to the $50 million, the America's Prize winner would also be guaranteed first rights on a contract from Bigelow for ongoing orbital servicing missions to its inflatable 45 X 22-ft. "Nautilus" modules--possibly docked together as a small space station (see artist's rendering on p. 58).

Three (no, four) potential markets:

$50 million from the prize fund;

Travel to/from Bigelow's inflated habitats;

ISS support and crew transfer;

Sell to NASA instead of designing CEV.

I'm very intrigued by America's Prize and am looking forward to the official announcement. A 6 or 7 crew capsule would require some rather heavy lift. I expected Bigelow to push for something smaller that the Falcon V could launch, for example.

Would this also be able to lift the Nautilus modules themselves? What do they weigh, around 12MT?

Really like the fact that Bigelow is working on hardware that has both private applications and could be used by NASA as well.

I imagine that some see this story as proof that space travel is not a viable industry, since the only current entrants are targeting wealthy clientele. But that's how all infant industries start.

Who was buying silk, saffron, movable type, automobiles, and VCRs when each of those industries first got off the ground? The stinkin' rich. Eventually time and in some cases technology expand the efficiencies of scale. Silk is still a luxury item, but not as expensive as it used to be. The poor in America drive cars, read printed material, own VCRs or DVDs, and can easily afford the 6-ounce package Mahatma Saffron Rice that goes for roughly 60 cents. The rich will pave the way for the poor in space commerce as they have done so in the spice trade and home electronics.