{"id":45520,"date":"2024-01-25T01:20:04","date_gmt":"2024-01-24T17:20:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/sierra-space-is-blowing-up-stuff-to-prove-inflatable-habitats-are-safe\/"},"modified":"2024-01-25T01:20:04","modified_gmt":"2024-01-24T17:20:04","slug":"sierra-space-is-blowing-up-stuff-to-prove-inflatable-habitats-are-safe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/sierra-space-is-blowing-up-stuff-to-prove-inflatable-habitats-are-safe\/","title":{"rendered":"Sierra Space is blowing up stuff to prove inflatable habitats are safe"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Sierra Space says it has demonstrated in a ground test that a full-scale inflatable habitat for a future space station can meet NASA\u2019s recommended safety standards, clearing a technical gate on the road toward building a commercial outpost in low-Earth orbit.<\/p>\n<p style=\"\">During a December test at NASA\u2019s Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama, Sierra Space\u2019s 300 cubic meter inflatable structure withstood five times the pressure it would need to handle in space. The so-called ultimate burst pressure test was designed to measure the limits of the soft goods technology Sierra Space is developing alongside ILC Dover, which also built spacesuits for NASA.<\/p>\n<p>The 27-foot-diameter (8.2-meter) inflatable structure burst at 77 psi, exceeding NASA\u2019s recommended safety standard of 60.8 psi, which is four times the module\u2019s real-life operating pressure at 15.2 psi.<\/p>\n<p>Perhaps best known for developing the Dream Chaser spaceplane, Colorado-based Sierra Space also manufactures satellites and is one of several companies in the mix for helping build a new commercial space station to replace the International Space Station.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re ecstatic over the results,\u201d said Shawn Buckley, senior director of engineering and chief technologist for Sierra Space\u2019s EarthSpace Systems division. \u201cTransitioning from our sub-scale articles, we\u2019ve done a series of tests to validate our architecture. And being able to go into our first full-scale LIFE (Large Integrated Flexible Environment) burst test, to meet the safety factor by 27 percent, was just an amazing accomplishment by the team.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sierra Space is partnering with Blue Origin on a commercial space station concept called Orbital Reef. If the companies see it to fruition, Orbital Reef could become a hub for research, manufacturing, tourism, and other applications in low-Earth orbit.<\/p>\n<p>,<\/p>\n<p>The inflatable technology from Sierra Space is similar to the work performed by Bigelow Aerospace, which pioneered inflatable habitat tech for more than 20 years before laying off its entire workforce in 2020. Buckley worked on Bigelow\u2019s inflatable habitat technology for more than 10 years, then joined Lockheed Martin for two years. In 2022, he took a leadership position overseeing Sierra Space\u2019s space station work.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/_7NiBD3KqkQ?si=t-HmPOcp1IatWu1U&amp;start=334\" width=\"678\" height=\"381\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Bigelow\u2019s design centered on a 330-cubic-meter inflatable habitat, while Sierra Space\u2019s design is slightly smaller in volume. Buckley said he couldn\u2019t state definitively whether the LIFE burst test in December was the largest such test of an inflatable habitat design, due to restrictions about what he could say about his previous work at other companies.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI will say that this is the largest full-scale habitat that has been publicly announced in this architecture being tested,\u201d he told Ars in an interview.<\/p>\n<h2>Certifying for spaceflight<\/h2>\n<p>The full-scale burst test of Sierra Space\u2019s LIFE habitat follows a series of sub-scale tests last year.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat we\u2019re doing is we\u2019re moving through a soft goods certification of our pressure shell,\u201d Buckley said. \u201cThis was the first test in that road to being certified. We have a very, very busy 2024. At the end of \u201924 or beginning of \u201925, Sierra Space\u2019s goal is to certify our pressure shell, and that will happen through a series of sub-scale and full-scale tests. This was just the first test, and moving forward, we\u2019ll have two more full-scale burst tests.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>According to Buckley, Sierra Space has roughly 300 employees working on the LIFE habitat development, including the inflatable structure itself, life support systems, power, communications, and propulsion. But before Sierra Space can tack on those other critical elements needed to fly the habitat in space, the company has to show the structure itself can withstand the rigors of spaceflight.<\/p>\n<p>,<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen we say certify, it means show that we have a consistent build, a consistent process, and a consistent architecture which can be repeatable,\u201d Buckley said. Sierra Space also must prove it can repeatedly meet NASA\u2019s recommended safety factor of four times the pressure the habitat will see in orbit.<\/p>\n<p>The LIFE habitat\u2019s inflatable shell is primarily made of a material called Vectran. \u201cThis is a material which gives you high strength and low elasticity,\u201d Buckley said.<\/p>\n<p>According to Kuraray, a Japanese manufacturer of specialty chemicals, fibers, and resins, Vectran is a \u201chigh-performance multifilament yarn spun from liquid crystal polymer.\u201d Pound for pound, Vectran is five times stronger than steel and 10 times stronger than aluminum, Kuraray says on its website.<\/p>\n<p>Technicians mold the Vectran into straps, which are woven together to give the pressure shell the strength it needs to hold pressure in space, Buckley said. A series of threads, stitches, and tapes also make up the structure.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"ars-img-shortcode id-1998436 align-center\">\n<p>                <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1800\" height=\"1350\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Sierra-Space-Full-Scale-Burst-Test-Photo-2-Dec-2023.png.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Sierra-Space-Full-Scale-Burst-Test-Photo-2-Dec-2023.png.jpg 1800w, https:\/\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Sierra-Space-Full-Scale-Burst-Test-Photo-2-Dec-2023.png-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Sierra-Space-Full-Scale-Burst-Test-Photo-2-Dec-2023.png-640x480.jpg 640w, https:\/\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Sierra-Space-Full-Scale-Burst-Test-Photo-2-Dec-2023.png-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Sierra-Space-Full-Scale-Burst-Test-Photo-2-Dec-2023.png-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Sierra-Space-Full-Scale-Burst-Test-Photo-2-Dec-2023.png-980x735.jpg 980w, https:\/\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Sierra-Space-Full-Scale-Burst-Test-Photo-2-Dec-2023.png-1440x1080.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1800px) 100vw, 1800px\"><\/p>\n<p>                The full-scale LIFE habitat that underwent the burst pressure test in December included two blanking plates, simulating locations for windows, antennas, or other attachable structures.<\/p>\n<p>                    Credit:<br \/>\n                                          Sierra Space<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>The recent full-scale burst test will provide data for a milestone on the Orbital Reef program with NASA, which has a $172 million funding agreement with the Blue Origin-led Orbital Reef team to develop technologies for a future space station.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are well on our way to having our habitats ready for launch in 2026,\u201d Buckley said. Last year, Sierra Space disclosed plans to launch a LIFE habitat into orbit as a pathfinder before Orbital Reef. This could fly by the end of 2026, said Tom Vice, Sierra Space\u2019s CEO, in a presentation last year.<\/p>\n<p>Sierra Space\u2019s pathfinder could be used for commercial pharmaceutical and biotech research, Vice said. It would also demonstrate technologies for Orbital Reef and provide Sierra Space with a \u201crevenue-generating space station that is focused around next-generation breakthroughs,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>,<\/p>\n<p>A crewed version of Sierra Space\u2019s Dream Chaser spaceplane could ferry people to and from the LIFE pathfinder and Orbital Reef. The Dream Chaser is slated to launch on its first flight in a cargo-only configuration later this year. Sierra Space spun off from Sierra Nevada Corp. in 2021 as an independent company.<\/p>\n<p>In September, CNBC reported the Orbital Reef project was in limbo and that it was not a top priority for Blue Origin or Sierra Space. Ars and Reuters also reported on the anticipated divorce between Blue Origin and Sierra Space. A few days later, Blue Origin posted on the social media platform X that it was still working on Orbital Reef.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe want to be market positioned, whether it\u2019s our own internal module, whether it\u2019s on Orbital Reef or another platform, we want to make sure that we mature our technology so that in 2026 we\u2019ve got a ready state for this tech,\u201d Buckley said. He added that Sierra Space will \u201cprobably increase our team members\u201d working on the LIFE habitat program.<\/p>\n<p>Sierra Space laid off 165 employees and let go of additional contractors in November upon the completion of the first Dream Chaser spaceplane. This had \u201cno impact\u201d on the LIFE habitat program, according to Buckley.<\/p>\n<h2>Replacing ISS<\/h2>\n<p>There have been longstanding questions about the private sector\u2019s commitment to developing a commercial space station. Private investment in commercial stations lags far behind investment into core space industry markets like launch and satellite manufacturing. NASA is providing funding to companies working on space station projects, with the understanding that the companies themselves also contribute private money.<\/p>\n<p>NASA\u2019s funding alone isn\u2019t enough to pay for a commercial space station\u2014NASA calls these Commercial LEO Destinations (CLDs)\u2014and the agency is bracing for government-wide budget cuts in the next few years.<\/p>\n<p>,<\/p>\n<p>The International Space Station is scheduled for retirement in 2030. A top NASA official said in November that it might be time to accept a gap in space station access in low-Earth orbit after the decommissioning of the ISS. NASA wants to continue to send astronauts into low-Earth orbit to perform research after the ISS is gone while the agency\u2019s own human spaceflight missions focus on the Moon and Mars. Maybe NASA astronauts could temporarily use a commercial crew capsule from SpaceX or Boeing as a stopgap until someone deploys a commercial station.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat would be bad, and I don\u2019t want a gap,\u201d said Phil McAlister, NASA\u2019s director of commercial spaceflight. \u201cBut if the CLDs are not ready, we might have one. Personally, I don\u2019t think that would be the end of the world. It would not be unrecoverable, especially if it\u2019s relatively short-term. It might impact some research somewhat, but we could leverage Crew Dragon and Starliner to lessen the impact of a gap.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"ars-img-shortcode id-1998435 align-center\">\n<p>                <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1440\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/orbital-reef-full-top-scaled.webp\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/orbital-reef-full-top-scaled.webp 2560w, https:\/\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/orbital-reef-full-top-300x169.webp 300w, https:\/\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/orbital-reef-full-top-640x360.webp 640w, https:\/\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/orbital-reef-full-top-768x432.webp 768w, https:\/\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/orbital-reef-full-top-1536x864.webp 1536w, https:\/\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/orbital-reef-full-top-2048x1152.webp 2048w, https:\/\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/orbital-reef-full-top-384x216.webp 384w, https:\/\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/orbital-reef-full-top-1152x648.webp 1152w, https:\/\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/orbital-reef-full-top-980x551.webp 980w, https:\/\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/orbital-reef-full-top-1440x810.webp 1440w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\"><\/p>\n<p>                Artist\u2019s concept of the Orbital Reef space station.<\/p>\n<p>                    Credit:<br \/>\n                                          Orbital Reef Team<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Apart from the Blue Origin-Sierra Space partnership on Orbital Reef,&nbsp;Voyager Space and Airbus have a joint plan to build an outpost called Starlab in low-Earth orbit, and Axiom Space is building modules it will attach to the International Space Station, with a longer-term goal of detaching its modules to form an independent laboratory in space. Axiom also has NASA funding support.<\/p>\n<p>These companies all have funding agreements with NASA to work on space station tech. Northrop Grumman was working on its own concept for a commercial space station, but last year, it abandoned its leadership role and joined Voyager and Airbus as a junior partner on the Starlab project.<\/p>\n<p>,<\/p>\n<p>Earlier this month, NASA announced it will&nbsp;reallocate the funding originally committed for Northrop Grumman to the Orbital Reef and Starlab teams. Orbital Reef will get an additional $42 million, bringing the total NASA award to $172 million. Starlab\u2019s team will receive another $57.5 million for a total NASA funding commitment of $217.5 million.<\/p>\n<p>A private startup named Vast also plans to launch its own space station without any existing NASA contracts. So, some serious government and private money is flowing into commercial space station projects. But so far, there\u2019s not enough to make a privately owned outpost a reality. Although it is significantly larger than any of the commercial stations, the ISS cost more than $100 billion to build, and NASA spends more than $3 billion per year to operate it and pay for cargo and crew transportation.<\/p>\n<p>A commercial space station will undoubtedly be less complex and costly than the ISS but will certainly be a multibillion-dollar investment over the program\u2019s life.<\/p>\n<p>The Starlab station would have originally been built using inflatable modules supplied by Lockheed Martin. But Lockheed Martin pulled out of its leading role on Starlab, and Airbus took on the role of building pressurized modules for the station. These modules will be rigid metallic structures, not inflatable ones.<\/p>\n<p>Matthew Kuta, Voyager\u2019s president, told Ars last year that moving away from inflatable modules to metallic structures, similar to those on the ISS, will result&nbsp;in a quicker development schedule and lower costs.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOne of the things that\u2019s really important is speed,\u201d Kuta said. \u201cMetal modules are just much more proven out; they\u2019re much more cost-effective\u2026 An inflatable as a primary habitat has never flown in space.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The benefits of inflatable modules are clear. They can launch in a deflated configuration to fit inside the payload fairing of a rocket, then expand once in orbit. Sierra Space says the LIFE habitat is one-third the volume of the ISS and could be launched on a single rocket.<\/p>\n<p>Bigelow Aerospace launched two 11.5-cubic-meter inflatable modules on standalone test flights in low-Earth orbit in 2006 and 2007. Bigelow\u2019s next pressurized space module was a 16-cubic-meter inflatable structure that launched to the International Space Station in 2016. It has been there for nearly eight years, with excellent performance.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sierra Space says it has demonstrated in a ground test that a full-scale inflatable habitat for a future space station can meet NASA\u2019s recommended safety standards, clearing a technical gate on the road toward building a commercial outpost in low-Earth orbit. During a December test at NASA\u2019s Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama, Sierra Space\u2019s [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":45522,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[291,9741,971,9742],"class_list":["post-45520","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-commercial-space","tag-inflatable-module","tag-sierra-space","tag-space-stations"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45520"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=45520"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45520\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/45522"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=45520"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=45520"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=45520"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}