Lettuce can grow on the International Space Station. But can a habitat?
Tomorrow, for the first time, an inflatable module attached to the International Space Station will be expanding.
The module is called BEAM, which stands for Bigelow Expandable Activity Module. Designed to be lightweight and folded to preserve space during launch, BEAM will expand to nearly five times its compressed size. This will allow astronauts more room to live and work in space than traditional rigid modules.
Credit: Bigelow Aerospace
For the next two years, the module’s technology will be demonstrated. We will learn how well it protects against solar radiation, space debris, and the extreme temperatures of space. By studying these important factors, we will be one step closer to the future of sending humans on exciting missions into deep space.
The expansion tomorrow will be led by NASA astronaut Jeff Williams. Coverage on NASA TV will begin tomorrow at 5:30 a.m. EDT, and the expansion process will begin at 6:10 a.m.
The International Space Station is a key part of the Journey to Mars. This microgravity laboratory has seen a huge increase in the number of countries involved, and continues to be a successful medium for international collaboration. To learn more about the research experiments onboard, visit NASA.gov.