Barry Eitel
08 April 2016•Update: 08 April 2016
By Barry Eitel
SAN FRANCISCO
The International Space Station (ISS) will receive its first ever inflatable room Friday, an experiment developers hope will further deep space travel and the future of space tourism, NASA officials said Thursday.
The Bigelow Expandable Activity Module, or BEAM, was created by Bigelow Aeronautics, based in Las Vegas.
The large inflatable room will be delivered to the ISS with a slew of other supplies via an unmanned spacecraft sent by SpaceX.
Once inflated, astronauts will test the pod-like room to see how it withstands the hazards of space travel over the long term.
Bigelow Aeronautics hope BEAM will someday be used for human bases on the moon or Mars.
Developers also think the technology could be used to create outposts orbiting the Earth for scientists and tourists.
“Our company is proud to be a part of human spaceflight history with the launch of the BEAM in partnership with NASA,” the company tweeted.
Once attached to the ISS, the soft-sided room will be inflated. It is scheduled to remain attached to the station for two years. When fully expanded, the current BEAM model is roughly the size of a small bedroom.
The company has not divulged information about the materials that comprise BEAM, but similar products have used Kevlar and strong fabrics.
About 20 years ago, NASA originally developed an expandable capsule called TransHab, but a prototype was never sent to space due because Congress canceled the project in 2000.
Bigelow Aeronautics bought the TransHab patents from NASA soon after.
“Commercial resupply missions enable NASA, private industry and other government agencies to continue the extensive scientific research taking place aboard the space station,” Kirk Shireman, ISS program manager for NASA, said in a statement Thursday.
