The newest addition to NASAs fleet of spacecraft may be filled with air, as the agency awarded a $17.8 million contract to Bigelow Aerospace to develop an inflatable extension to the International Space Station. Though it sounds a bit like sci-fi fantasy, inflatable space technology is very real, and has been in place since the ’50s–as CNET points out, the very first passive communications satellites were too large to fit on the Thor-Delta rocket, and were expanded upon arriving in space.
“This partnership agreement for the use of expandable habitats represents a step forward in cutting-edge technology that can allow humans to thrive in space safely and affordably, and heralds important progress in U.S. commercial space innovation,” said NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver.
Bigelow has been crafting inflatable space modules since 1999, with the stated aim of “greatly [exceeding] the usable space of the International Space Station at a fraction of the cost by developing our next generation spacecraft.”
Floating ominously inside the Apexart gallery is a massive, crinkly, mirrored balloon. It is a reconstructed version of NASA's 1958 "Beacon Inflatable Satellite," an early "sateloon" prototype that marked the beginnings of human space exploration. The Beacon was a preliminary model for Echo 1, a much larger version launched by…
In August, we noted how researchers from the University of Maryland stirred up some controversy when they said evidence now indicates that the Voyager 1 spacecraft--launched in 1977--has left the Solar System and is cruising around interstellar space complete with a gold plated record detailing man's existence intended for extraterrestrials.…
In a crucial development towards developing a self-sustaining system for living in space, NASA will begin growing vegetables on the International Space Station this December. Dubbed VEGGIE, the small rig, "filled with a material akin to kitty litter," will grow six romaine lettuce plants, to be tested and eaten back…
