bigelowairspace
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Watch NASA inflate the space station's expandable habitat
It's almost time for the ISS crew to begin testing the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM). On Thursday, May 26th, BEAM will be inflated to reach its full size, and you can watch it live on NASA TV, starting at 5:30AM EDT. BEAM was ferried to the ISS aboard a SpaceX flight, which became famous for being the first time the company landed a reusable rocket at sea. It was folded during transport to save space and attached to the station sometime in April, but now it will be expanded to add a 10-x-13-foot area to the ISS.
NASA pays $17.8M for inflatable ISS expansion, orbital ball pit unconfirmed
Were you one of those lucky kids whose parents got you an inflatable castle for your birthday party, thus making all the other kids in the neighborhood jealous? You're about to get one-upped. NASA has just signed a $17.8 million contract with Bigelow Airspace to built an inflatable, expandable module to plug into the International Space Station. Bigelow already has prototype habitats orbiting the globe and last year announced a partnership with SpaceX to launch its BA 330 (pictured above) sometime in 2015. Details of the ISS expansion are set to be announced this upcoming Wednesday, giving you just a few more days to gloat about any childhood bouncy-bounce exploits.
