An inflatable space habitat? NASA's giving it a shot

Sunday, May 29, 2016, 12:46 PM - An inflatable space module? It sounds, to the layman, like a recipe for disaster, but apparently the science is sound and NASA is giving it a shot.

After an aborted attempt on Thursday, the space agency finally began inflating its Bigelow Expanding Activity Module on Saturday, slowly filling it with air until it reached its full size by around 4:10 p.m.

Given the stakes, and the fact space is one of the most hostile environments known to man, the inflation process wasn't as simple as blowing up a backyard kiddie pool. According to a blog post by NASA, astronaut Jeff Williams spent about seven hours inflating BEAM.

Though it only took a combined total time of two minutes and 27 seconds to get it done, that was over the course of 25 openings of the air valve, as NASA wanted to give the module time to settle.

By Saturday evening, the module had been pressurized using air stored in eight tanks already aboard. It is now around 400 cm long, with a diameter of 320 cm.

NASA says the next week will include regular checks for leaks in the module, followed by Williams' first entry inside. The capsule is designed to be attached to the International Space Station for a period of two years, and if it works as planned, it could be the first of many.

"Expandable habitats are designed to take up less room on a spacecraft but provide greater volume for living and working in space once expanded," NASA says. "This first test of an expandable module will allow investigators to gauge how well the habitat performs and specifically, how well it protects against solar radiation, space debris and the temperature extremes of space."

SOURCE: NASA