Yesterday morning (Australian time), NASA successfully completed full pressurisation of the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM) on the International Space Station.
The BEAM is an experimental program developed by Bigelow Aerospace for NASA in an effort to test and validate expandable habitat technology.
Expandable habitats are designed to take up less room on a spacecraft but provide greater volume for living and working in space once expanded. 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.
The 1400 kg module measured 216 cm long and 236 cm in diameter in its packed configuration. It now measures around 401 cm long and about 323 cm in diameter to create 16 cubic metres of habitable volume.
During the next week, leak checks will be performed on BEAM to ensure its structural integrity. Hatch opening and NASA astronaut Jeff Williams’ first entrance into the module will take place about a week after leak checks are complete.
NASA said BEAM is an example of the organisation’s increased commitment to partnering with industry to enable the growth of the commercial use of space. The project is co-sponsored by NASA’s Advanced Exploration Systems Division and Bigelow Aerospace.
Bigelow says they seek to assist human exploration and the discovery of beneficial resources, whether in Low Earth Orbit (LEO), on the moon, in deep space or on Mars.
The company is also developing a larger module, the B330, a 330 cubic metre structure. Although BEAM is a fraction of the size of the B330, it will still serve as a vital pathfinder for validating the benefits of expandable habitats. NASA will leverage the International Space Station (ISS) in order to test this technology for a two-year demonstration period.
[Images of the BEAM before and after its expansion. Photos: NASA]
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