On Thursday, NASA's first attempt to inflate the International Space Station's first expandable module, the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM), was a failure. Two days later, on Saturday May 28, the expandable module was fully inflated. This marks an important proof of technology for Bigelow Aerospace, which wants to be in the business of building commercial space habitats.
According to NASA and Bigelow, part of the reason for Thursday's failure was a simple matter of friction. The BEAM had been packed for travel about 10 months longer than originally intended. And friction forces of the fabric of the module itself were also stronger than engineering models had predicted.
However, over the course of several hours on Saturday, these obstacles were overcome, and the module is now fully expanded and pressurized.
"The module measured just over 7 feet long and just under 7.75 feet in diameter in its packed configuration," NASA said in a blog post. "BEAM now measures more than 13 feet long and about 10.5 feet in diameter to create 565 cubic feet of habitable volume. It weighs approximately 3,000 pounds."
During the next week, the module will be checked for leaks and sensors will observe its structural integrity. About a week after those tests are complete, astronaut Jeff Williams will open the hatch from the station to the module and float on inside it.
BEAM will remain attached to the International Space Station for two years and undergo a number of tests as both NASA and Bigelow take this opportunity to see how it performs in space. After two years, the module will be detached and eventually burn up in Earth's atmosphere.
