Space travel: Pump it up, Scotty
AT 73 metres long and 420 tonnes, the International Space Station is the biggest artificial object in space. And it is growing: its 15 existing modules are due to be joined by five more before the decade is out. On April 8th, if all goes according to plan, a rocket will lift off from Cape Canaveral in Florida carrying the first of these new additions. But it is no ordinary module.
The Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM—illustrated above) is the first bit of the ISS created entirely at the initiative of a private company. Bigelow Aerospace, its manufacturer, is an American space firm set up in 1999 by Robert Bigelow, a businessman who made his money in the hotel trade. And unlike the rest of the ISS, which is essentially a series of space-going aluminium cans, the BEAM is made from cloth. It is folded up and stowed for the journey into orbit, much like a tent, and then inflated to its full size after being attached to the station.
An inflatable space station might sound a bit mad (perhaps for that reason, Bigelow Aerospace prefers the word “expandable”). But many space cadets are fans of the idea. In the 1950s Wernher von Braun, a Nazi rocket prodigy poached by the Americans after the second world war, described a space station 75 metres across with room for 80 people, made of reinforced, inflatable rubber tubes. In the 1960s, with the space race in full swing, NASA built a full-sized test model of a smaller, 7.3 metre model. And in the 1990s the agency returned to the idea with a design called the TransHab, an inflatable spaceship designed to take a crew of humans all the way to Mars. But that mission never happened. In 1999, in a neat bit of symmetry, Bigelow Aerospace bought the relevant patents from NASA and began working on the technology itself.
Inflatable spaceships offer several advantages, but the main one is mass. An inflatable module is much lighter than its metal counterpart, and mass is the rocket scientist’s worst enemy. Lugging mass into orbit requires a lot of energy. Adding extra mass requires more fuel. That fuel, in turn, has mass of its own, requiring yet more fuel to lift, meaning that even a small increase in mass can end up requiring a dramatically bigger rocket. Bigelow Aerospace reckons that its inflatable designs offer more than twice as much internal volume per kilo as a traditional, metal design.
Space is another advantage. The size of a rigid spacecraft is limited by the size of the rocket that launches it.
Learn more: Space travel: Pump it up, Scotty
The Latest on: Inflatable spaceships
[google_news title=”” keyword=”Inflatable spaceships” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
via Google News
The Latest on: Inflatable spaceships
- Realtor’s Video Reveals Secret Room with Direct View Into Bathtub: ‘Look at How Creepy This Is’on March 27, 2024 at 2:26 pm
"I'd always think someone was hiding in there watching me," one commenter wrote on the viral TikTok video Realtor Lauren Rockel was showing her clients a prospective home in Lowell, Mich., when she ...
- Costco Shoppers Say 'Kids Had a Blast' In This $40 Inflatable Lounge Poolon March 26, 2024 at 7:57 am
It may be hard for some to believe but summer is just around the corner. Before you know it, we won’t be able to remember just how chilly we were this winter as soon as that blistering summer heat ...
- Ingersoll Rand to acquire ILC Doveron March 26, 2024 at 3:31 am
Ingersoll Rand announced a deal March 25 to acquire ILC Dover, a company best known in the space industry for its work on spacesuits and inflatable modules.
- 11 Best Inflatable Pools That Actually Make You Feel Like an Adulton March 25, 2024 at 2:00 pm
R egardless of your backyard situation (or lack thereof), you’re going to want one of the best inflatable pools on hand when the temperatures start to rise this summer. While th ...
- Forget Roof Top Tents, the New Hitch-Home Duo+ is an Inflatable Tent You Can Deploy Anywhereon March 25, 2024 at 6:30 am
The post Forget Roof Top Tents, the New Hitch-Home Duo+ is an Inflatable Tent You Can Deploy Anywhere appeared first on Bikerumor.
- Global Rigid Inflatable Boats Market Size To Worth USD 3.6 Billion By 2033 | CAGR of 2.54%on March 21, 2024 at 11:00 am
The Global Rigid Inflatable Boats Market Size was valued at USD 2.8 Billion in 2023 and the Worldwide Rigid Inflatable Boats Market Size is expected to reach USD 3.6 Billion by 2033, according to a ...
- Space Camp Not Added To Don’t Say Gay Bill | Marchon March 20, 2024 at 4:06 pm
News 19 at 5 p.m.
- Top 8 Best Inflatable Mattresses in 2024on March 16, 2024 at 4:59 pm
Inflatable mattresses come in a variety of sizes, from twin to king. Consider the space you have available and how many people will be using the mattress before making a decision. The material of ...
- We Tried This Space-Age Tent Made for Next-Level Glampingon March 14, 2024 at 5:00 pm
and the Space Acacia XL, which sleeps 4-6, including dogs and kids. The “3-in-1” refers to the structure of the unit, which includes a glamping-ready tent, an inflatable floor and a ...
- Under $25 Scores: This funky inflatable travel pillow will make your next flight more comfortableon March 8, 2024 at 11:45 am
The Kimiandy Inflatable Travel Air Pillow is the best ... by placing a personal item on their lap when sleeping in a tighter space. Spanning the circumference of the face rest is a fabric flap ...
via Bing News