by Sierra Space deliberately blew up a small prototype for an inflatable astronaut habitat to prepare for spaceflight.
The company has conducted what it calls the “ultimate burst pressure test” (UBP) as it goes down the long road to help develop a private replacement for the International Space Station (ISS). The inflatable module, called the Large Integrated Flexible Environment, or LIFE, will be part of the larger Orbital Reef space station led by Blue Origin. NASA looks to replace the aging ISS in the 1930s with private industry-led stations, and Orbital Reef is among them.
The recent test was the second in 2022 to detonate a prototype Sierra Space module for Orbital Reef, following a similar procedure in July. Simply put, by testing a smaller prototype module to its literal limit, engineers can make spaceflight safer for future astronauts.
“This second successful UBP test demonstrates that we can demonstrate repeatability of design, manufacturing and assembly, all of which are key areas for certification,” said Shawn Buckley, Sierra Space’s LIFE lead engineer and senior director of engineering, in a statement. statement by email.
Related: NASA looks to private outposts to build on the legacy of the International Space Station
The Sierra Space team blew up the module Nov. 15 inside the flame trench of a Saturn 1 and 1B testbed at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, performing the blast test in the same area in which NASA tested rockets for the Apollo Lunar Program of the 1960s and 1970s.
NASA, former spacesuit manufacturer ILC Dover, and Sierra Space all worked together on the test. The analysis is ongoing, but early work shows Sierra Space has met its obligations for testing, according to the company.
NASA contracted Sierra Space to blow up two prototype modules, which are smaller than those that will be used on Orbital Reef and had maximum burst pressures of 192 and 204 pounds per square inch (psi), respectively. Both modules easily exceeded the 182.4 psi safety requirement set by NASA in Orbital Reef’s design.
In the pictures: Inside the Sierra Nevada inflatable space habitat for astronauts in lunar orbit
A year ago, NASA awarded $415 million across three concepts for the initial development of the private space station. The money was split nearly evenly among the three teams: The Blue Origin-led Orbital Reef team that includes Sierra Space received $130 million, the Nanoracks LLC team $160 million, and the Northrop Grumman Systems Corp. team $125. .6 million.
Sierra Space plans to advance Orbital Reef development with Blue Origin in 2023 by performing full-scale prototype burst tests. Sierra Space plans to use its Dream Chaser cargo plane and a future manned version to bring astronauts and supplies to the private complex.
The inflatable modules are already being tested on the ISS by Bigelow Space. The Bigelow Expandable Activity Module, or BEAM, sent into orbit in 2019; ISS astronauts periodically evaluate its performance in orbit against solar radiation and the vacuum of space.
Elizabeth Howell is the co-author of “Because I’m taller (opens in a new tab)?” (ECW Press, 2022; with Canadian astronaut Dave Williams), a book on space medicine. Follow her on Twitter @howellspace (opens in a new tab). Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom (opens in a new tab) or Facebook (opens in a new tab).
