ISS 'nauts to inflate pump-up space podule Astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) will tomorrow pump up the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM) - the "first human-rated expandable structure that may help inform the design of deep space habitats". The engorgement is expected to begin at 10:10 GMT (6:10 AM EDT), with NASA TV's live coverage kicking …
Elmer Phud,
And what is wrong with astronauts having a nice play on a bouncy castle... IN SPAAAAAAACE!
I for one would love a go on a spouncy castle. Particularly if I can have space icecream. Talking of which, do NASA also produce space candyfloss?
In fact, I propose a piece of important scientific research. I wish to investigate the effects of a huge sugar-rush on humans exposed to microgravity. I suggest myself as the first guineapig. I propose that I be sent to the ISS with an entire Dragon or Progress capsule full of fizzy cola bottles, foam bananas, christmas cake, space dust, wine gums, jelly babies etc. Better include a few sick bags as well...
"You can't float up to orbit."
I refer the unlearned gentleman to the widely respected reference book, The Ragged Astronauts by that world renowned scientist Robert Shaw.where he demonstrates with practical examples how to achieve interplanetary flight using a hot air balloon.
Why does it have to have a fiery death? Surely it could just stay up there as extra storage space for non-cirtical stuff. Seems such a waste to bin what is likely to otherwise be a perfectly adequate bit of space hardware.
Jeez, stick a big screen and a couple of speakers in there and have it as a bit of cinema/games room/isolation booth/chill out room.
Its not really about the drag. A different module is planned to be attached to that particular port after BEAM gets removed (cant remember what atm). The station doesnt have that many suitable ports left and BEAM isn't set up for long term habitation (hence the 'nauts only entering it a few times for short periods) so BEAM gets ditched for something better
Presumably NASA before putting real live astronauts in this capsule will want to check that it works, is big enough, etc. I suppose that they will want to make it realistic, so are they also shipping up some plastic inflatable people for testing purposes ? I wonder what the astronauts will use them for once their testing job is done ?
It doubles its length and gets a bit fatter.
I find that lack of expansion somewhat surprising considering the supposed benefits of the blow-up system and the size of the proposed habitat. Perhaps the skin is relatively thick so on a small installation like this it's a significant volume of the unit but, assuming skin thickness stays constant and there's little more 'structural' material, becomes significantly less as the size increases?
The skin is multi-layered, and therefore quite thick. And this is only a test module. Bigelow Space have got either one or two (can't remember) already in orbit themselves, for testing purposes. But this is only a little one to go on the ISS. Remember it was only a portion of the cargo in a normal Dragon re-supply launch, where as the full-sized beastie will want a launch all to itself.
Weight is the issue. You can't make the walls of a metal spacecraft thicker without dramatically increasing the weight. So everything in space is pretty bloody flimsy. At which point, you're going to be working with composite materials anyway, so why not use something flexible and expandable. That means you can get something the right size to stick on the top of a rocket that'll expand a bit in space. The gains might not be huge, but you're still doing better than you otherwise would have been - and your living space is no longer limited to the diameter of your rockets.
Inflating your walls - and them thus being thicker (even if now less dense) is also an advantage in improving both radiation and impact protection. There are also gels that can be applied that expand on exposure to air - so if you apply these in the right place, punctures below a certain size will be self-healing. Maybe not enough to save the habitat, but enough to save the astronauts inside it, who can seal the airlock and bugger off to a different bit of the station. They can then either write the habitat off (and replace it), or fetch the puncture repair kit and go space walking.
Bigelow has been orbiting a primitive POC (with video feed) that is still aloft. Genesis 1 & 2. This is a much more hardened device that will be evaluated for robustness and radiation protection. It will show if certain lightweight material can be MORE protective that currently used metal-structures in the ISS. Parts of the ISS have been using hybrid hard/soft protection for years.
Genesis 1&2 did have 'scares' within their first year (solar flare). The new test is MUCH better instrumented. It really would reduce the lift-weight and potentially do a much better job than the traditional stuff. We will see...
I was very disappointed to learn that Bigelow Aerospace and Bigelow Tea have no apparent connection. That said, I wonder how they're planning to deorbit this podule when it has outlived its usefulness? Just cutting it loose is a terrible idea. I can only imagine they'd need some way to get some dV on the bloody thing. Maybe they'll use some kind of payload rocket to decelerate it? Or just put it on one of their garbage return trips... That latter seems more likely, but I really find the idea of a strategic cut in the right spot sending the damn thing farting its way to a lower periapsis that will bring it down hilarious.
The Register 
Biting the hand that feeds IT
Copyright. All rights reserved © 1998–2024
