Program to expand living space on the ISS station has problems

On May 26, the US Space and Aeronautics Agency (NASA) canceled the first inflatable space housing test on the International Space Station (ISS) when it was impossible to pump this house to size. max.

The space space called BEAM is part of an experiment to build short-term living space for space astronauts conducting missions on the Moon or Mars.

However, according to NASA's statement, after 2 hours of inflatable, experts announced that BEAM only inflated a few centimeters in length and diameter.

Illustrative images of samples of inflatable houses.(Source: NASA).

According to the design, when being stretched, BEAM can reach 4m long and 3.2m wide.

NASA said the agency and Bigelow Aerospace, BEAM's design unit, will hold a press conference on May 27 to discuss the problem and come up with the next option.

According to NASA spokesperson, the crew on ISS is safe and BEAM and the space station are in stable condition.

This is the first test of deploying a model of inflatable housing developed by Bigelow Aerospace under a contract worth $ 18 million with NASA.

According to the original plan, astronauts will start on BEAM from June 2.

Model of house model in inflatable space.(Source: NASA).

The ISS crew will enter BEAM several times a year to collect data from internal sensors installed, thereby determining the ability to protect people before radiation in the space of this housing model.

If successful, BEAM will open a new era for space exploration when providing a compact and low-cost housing model that can be pumped when needed to provide living space and work extensively.