"The spacecraft continues to function perfectly," Chris Reed, a company spokesman, told SpaceDaily.com.

Genesis I was launched last Wednesday aboard a Russian Dnepr rocket from Dombarovsky missile base in Siberia. It achieved its designated orbit of 550 kilometers (340 miles) a short time later, its computer-controller air-pressure tanks activated and its pre-folded structure expanded into a watermelon shape.

"All systems are operating within expected parameters," said Robert T. Bigelow, the company's founder, in a statement issued shortly after the launch. "Temperature, avionics, solar arrays and battery power all remain positive. All of our initial orbits have had direct sunlight, which has helped in charging the main battery to maximum capacity."

The one-third-scale prototype is 4.5 meters (15 feet) long with a diameter of 2.4 meters (8 feet). The tough fabric shell is made of a composite of Kevlar - used to make bullet-proof vests - and an advanced material called Vectran.

The spacecraft's planned operational lifetime is five years, during which technicians will determine if Genesis can maintain the proper internal air pressure and temperature, whether it can withstand any collisions with space debris and micrometeorites, and whether solar radiation causes any deterioration of the airtight fabric.

Bigelow said the internal temperature of Genesis remains around 78 degrees Fahrenheit (26 degrees Celsius), and air pressure continues within normal limits. Genesis carries live insect colonies, whose health is being monitored.

The company plans to send a second inflatable prototype into orbit this fall. It will carry insects as well, plus the photographs and personal items of paying customers. Genesis II also will carry multiple cameras for the purpose of recording those items floating by in the spacecraft's interior.

"Every day, Bigelow Aerospace will be downloading images and video from these cameras," the company said on its Web site. "If you log onto the Bigelow Aerospace Web portal, you will have a chance to actually see your item floating by."

Eventually, Bigelow wants to put a multi-module version of Genesis into orbit to serve as the first space hotel, hosting private tourists. Toward that end, he has established America's Space Prize, a $50-million award to the first private spacecraft that can carry five passengers and crew to an altitude of 400 kilometers (250 miles) by 2010.

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