inflatablehabitat
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NASA successfully puffs up its inflatable space habitat
Second time's the charm. Following a less-than-successful initial test run, NASA and Bigelow Aerospace have successfully inflated the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module attached to the International Space Station. It took several hours (the team didn't want any movement that could destabilize the station), but the experimental pod now extends nearly 5.6 feet out and 10.6 feet across. That's not the full size (it'll ultimately be 7 feet long), but it's hopefully smooth sailing from here on out.
NASA's first expandable habitat test on the ISS defeated by friction
NASA hopes that expandable habitats could dramatically expand livable space on the space station and Mars, but yesterday's first test on the ISS failed. Today, NASA and habitat builder Bigelow Aerospace announced the cause of the problem. After being packed away for an extended time, friction between fabrics increased pressure to unpredicted levels, endangering the habitat.
NASA to use the ISS as a testbed for inflatable living modules
NASA, perhaps more than anyone else, knows that there's only so much room for packing stuff onto a spacecraft. That's why it's testing expandable living modules on the International Space Station prior to sending them to Mars for work and living spaces. The Bigelow Expandable Activity Module will ride along in an upcoming SpaceX Dragon resupply mission to the ISS and from there will be unpacked and attached to the side of the station.
