NASA Successfully Inflates New Space Station Room
Last edited Sat May 28, 2016, 11:56 PM - Edit history (1)
Source: Associated Press
CAPE CANVERAL, Fla. (AP) NASA successfully inflated a new experimental room at the International Space Station on Saturday, producing the world's first pump-it-up compartment for astronauts.
The operation took much longer than expected, stretching over three days in all. But victory, when it came, was sweet.
"A significant milestone has been accomplished," Bigelow Aerospace, the inflatable chamber's creator, cheered via Twitter.
Astronaut Jeffrey Williams spent seven hours Saturday opening and closing an air valve to expand the compartment. Enough air finally seeped inside so that the puffy white pod could stretch to its full 13 feet in length and 10 ½ feet in diameter the volume equivalent to a small bedroom. Internal air tanks provided the final pressurization to complete the job.
Read more: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/935882607cc643709e75d52154d1f3b5/nasa-tries-again-inflate-new-room-space-station
Jiffy Pop, Jiffy Pop magic treat...as much fun to make as it is to eat!!!
Good job done...
msongs
(67,496 posts)bluedigger
(17,090 posts)The question in both cases becomes "How fast can you patch it?"
Quackers
(2,256 posts)So close but you beat me.
Major Nikon
(36,827 posts)It's not uncommon that it gets hit with small pieces of junk. Most never penetrates.
Quackers
(2,256 posts)That rock is going through no matter what.
askeptic
(478 posts)I was just recently at Cape Canaveral, and there is a lot of excitement about this for going to Mars.
Cassiopeia
(2,603 posts)The first attempt was stopped short due to improper inflating. The reason is believed to be with the duration the room was packed before deployment.
This was an important test for equipment that would need to be deployed years after packing date.
TeamPooka
(24,292 posts)Major Nikon
(36,827 posts)byronius
(7,410 posts)Maybe future starships won't be smooth tritanium disks with nacelles attached. Maybe they'll be big clusters of bags.
Whatever works.
Response to Purveyor (Original post)
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BumRushDaShow
(129,950 posts)Response to Purveyor (Original post)
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