NASA to Test Expandable Habitat on ISS

NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver announced Wednesday a newly planned addition to the International Space Station that will use the orbiting laboratory to test expandable space habitat technology. NASA has awarded a $17.8 million contract to Bigelow Aerospace to provide a Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM), which is scheduled to arrive at the space station in 2015 for a two-year technology demonstration. The BEAM is scheduled to launch aboard the eighth SpaceX cargo resupply mission to the station contracted by NASA, currently planned for 2015. After the module is berthed to the station's Tranquility node, the station crew will activate a pressurization system to expand the structure to its full size using air stored within the packed module. Astronauts periodically will enter the module to gather performance data and perform inspections. Following the test period, the module will be jettisoned from the station, burning up on re-entry.

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[RangerParus]

I cackle with joy every time I see the ISS pass overhead.

[SaFalken]

I was expecting a full on rotating ring. :(

[RangerParus]

You can, yes. Naked eye and in city light pollution.

There's a site called "Heavens Above" where you put in your location and it tells you when. The same data can be gotten with a android app called Astropanel.

[Sleep1ngCactus]

Can you see the ISS from earth?

[Maxime Caudebec]

I swear you guys are amazing with CGI simulations

[geomodelrailroader]

BEAM is TRANSHAB on staroids Bigelow plans to launch three of them since they will fill spots proposed for the Hab 1 and TRANSHAB modules

[Carnutzjoe]

...from your good friends at Jiffy-Pop Popcorn!

[Paul Hood]

size isnt everything

[Guy Fawkes]

did anybody else see the smilely face to the right?

[Kevin Newby]

And robots that could travel into outer space.

[Kevin Newby]

It would be better if NASA used artificial intelligence to gather information about the universe.

[mquiroz90]

Will there be ships that have lights that blank and space stations in the 2020s?