Attached to the laboratory that orbits Earth at 17,500mph is an exciting mission – it’s a habitat for astronauts that gets bigger when it’s in space!
The laboratory is the International Space Station (ISS), a unique platform that has had a continuous humans presence onboard for the past 16 years. It’s an environment that allows us to learn about living and working in space while conducting scientific research in a microgravity environment.
The habitat that expands when in space is the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module, or BEAM. In May, it was expanded to nearly double its length and its diameter increased by forty percent. The habitat takes up less volume during a launch to space and allows for payload space to be maximized.
Having been in its expanded form for five months, BEAM is sending meaningful information about its structural and thermal performance in space in addition to data about its operations. The expandable habitat was developed by a public-private partnership between NASA and Bigelow Aerospace and will be demonstrated in space for two years.
Jeff Williams in BEAM. Credit: NASA
Astronaut Jeff Williams entered the module for the first time on June 6th following the confirmation from sensors inside BEAM that it was holding its pressure and was not leaking. On his next two entries in the days that followed, WIlliams installed more sensors, air ventilation ducts, and tested for microbes through surface and air sampling.
Sensors on BEAM are evaluating many key variables of the technology demonstration. They have measured the structural dynamics while BEAM was being deployed, the insulation performance of the module’s fabric shell layers and metallic bulkheads, radiation penetration, and any impacts on the module’s exterior caused by space debris.
BEAM was expanded on its second try in May following the first attempt in which fabric layers expanded slower than predicted. The successful expansion came after it was ensured that there would be no risk to the station or crew. Upon entering the module, Williams found it to be dry – a good sign.
Astronauts entered the module two more times in September. They reinforced instruments, rebooted a laptop for relaying sensor data, took samples to be returned to Earth, and performed tests inside BEAM to aid in the definition of the module’s structural characteristics. Overall, BEAM is operating as expected and is generating important data.
With the ongoing demonstration of this habitat that is managed by NASA’s Advanced Exploration Systems Division, we continue to learn how an expandable module performs in the environment of space in preparation for future missions.
Learn more about research and technology on the International Space Station at NASA.gov.