NASA TO SEND INFLATABLE MODULE

HRNW REPORT: The International Space Station (ISS) is set to get its first house. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is all set to send the first giant inflatable house later this spring. This move is to test a new type of habitat that will in future be used by astronauts who will get to enjoy more living rooms in space. However, this is not the average inflatable bouncy house you have in mind.The Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM) is 10.5 by 13 foot and designed to withstand intense solar and cosmic radiations, atomic oxygen, space debris, as well as ultraviolet radiations and other factors existing in space.BEAM is designed as a space-efficient option to be used for future deep-space mission. The plan is to have BEAM attached to the International Space Station (ISS) for about 2 years. Astronauts will then fit with sensors to monitor its effectiveness in space.

If launched successfully, the prototype is bound to make life more comfortable for astronauts who have had to endure cramped spaces and lack of privacy on every mission.According to information posted on NASA’s website, BEAM is scheduled to be transported to the ISS using unpressurized trunk compartment of the SpaceX Dragon supply vehicle. Once docked, astronauts will then attach it to the Tranquility module.A packed and ready for launch BEAM is quite small. The packed dimensions measure 5.7 feet long and 7.75 feet in diameter. Once inflated, the inflatable habitat will expand to full length of twelve feet and ten and a half feet in diameter. The interior will hold a pressurized volume of about 560 cubic feet.