Space station to get $18 million balloon-like room
LAS VEGAS (AP) — NASA is partnering with a commercial space company to test an inflatable room that can be compressed into a 7-foot tube for delivery to the International Space Station.
NASA engineer Glen Miller says that if the habitat proves durable during two years at the International Space Station, it could help lead to stations on the moon and missions to Mars.
Officials detailed the $17.8 million project Wednesday during a news conference at North Las Vegas-based Bigelow Aerospace.
NASA is expected to install the 10-foot-diameter, blimp-like module by 2015.
If it's successful, Bigelow plans to begin selling inflatable space stations in 2016 to countries looking to increase their presence in space.
Miller says the new technology provides more room than existing options and is far cheaper.
NASA engineer Glen Miller says that if the habitat proves durable during two years at the International Space Station, it could help lead to stations on the moon and missions to Mars.
Officials detailed the $17.8 million project Wednesday during a news conference at North Las Vegas-based Bigelow Aerospace.
NASA is expected to install the 10-foot-diameter, blimp-like module by 2015.
If it's successful, Bigelow plans to begin selling inflatable space stations in 2016 to countries looking to increase their presence in space.
Miller says the new technology provides more room than existing options and is far cheaper.
Jiffy Pop space stations.Â
On the surface this idea looks pretty cheap and easy to do, but there many questions that will need to be answered first. Will this thing be strong enough to support an atmosphere, how will it handle punctures, will it have self sealing ability if punctured? I am sure there are many more than these that will need to be answered before it should be considered usable for space. I hope they can make it work because we need cheaper ways to put people up and support them once there.
 @LongBeachBum Agreed. Last thing I need to read in a micrometeorite is that an entire space station had a catastrophic failure because of a micrometeorite puncture in a balloon that was installed on one end.